Sunday morning. I woke up and started browsing through Steemit while my ever amazing husband made me breakfast. This is something of a routine in the morning, especially on a Sunday when I don't have to drag my body out of bed in winter. So I spent a little more time here. This should have been a positive experience, and in many ways it was. BUT my irritations which have been not so gradually building up got the better of me.
1. Trending Page
I see the same freaking 5* people EVERY. SINGLE. DAY., although we have a veritable influx of new users due to the platform's success. I have been here for 11 months and I don't identify with most of what I find there, which is a pity as I would also like to join a few interesting discussions in that section. I venture to say I know this place pretty well, after being here a while, and the trending page leaves me with a sense of disillusionment and quite often severe irritation at the constantly vapid content that earns obscene (from my point of view and I presume the POV of many others, especially in third world economies.)
The trending page possibly provides false hope and earning expectations to the many brand new users who were convinced by family and friends to join when the Steem price increased dramatically. When you don't have an 11 month emotional investment in this platform, where will that sense of disillusionment lead? Out the fucking door.
Also, especially since HF19, but even before then, who of you have ever really won a curation lottery by upvoting these dare I say quite boring trending posts. Isn't it the point of Steemit to offer an alternative to the other base and shallow social media sites? For me Steemit offers me a greater opportunity to:
- Think
- Indulge in fantasies of changing the world
- Debate
- Learn about new cultures and the way those cultures inform mindsets
- Enjoy wide and varied content
- Meet interesting people
I have done all of this...but none of it has occurred on the trending page and even recently the hot page which has become a pre-cursor to the (you guessed it) trending page.
2. Followers
I know this has been covered by others...but followers numbers do nothing for you unless they really are followers. IE people that actually read your stuff and then make a considered decision to vote and how much of their voting power they will use for their vote. People who have been on Steemit for 3 weeks have more followers than me. Super great. Instagram/Twitter vibes. I can understand a couple of (well spaced) milestone posts. Steemit is exciting, but weekly updates make me want to puke. I am honoured if someone wishes to follow me, if they enjoy my content. I know what I blog is not for everyone, I can only approach things from my own point of view and skill set. Logically this will not appeal to everyone. I don't flatter myself by thinking my followers doubling in a couple of months has anything to do with ME. It is because I have been here a while and have built a reputation, which attracts new users.
3. Family and friends
It took me forever, but I finally convinced some family and friends to join Steemit. Why? Because I love them and also wish them to reap the benefits. This doesn't mean I will abandon all those whose content I have enjoyed since I started here. I'm not sure about other long term members, but I have clearly picked up on family groups voting almost exclusively for each other. Earth to Steemit...do you actually want this platform to survive??? Resteeming is a good way of providing your family and friends more exposure without the whole #rewardpoolrape #circlejerk connotations!
4. Self voting
According to me it is your own fucking decision to do whatever you like. How can those with their vast financial rewards who engage in RPR & CJ activities tell those who barely make a buck their actions are morally reprehensible? Every single time I read something which strikes a chord in me, which is pretty often here, I will vote for it because I feel it shows my appreciation. BUT in poorer economies those few cents from a self vote provide income, and since we constantly vote the same 5 fucking people onto the trending page so no one else has a hope in hell of hitting it big, how can we sit in judgement against others?!
5. Value our new members
Once we were new too. Many of us were engaged in possibly dubious activities to gain a following or to gain an income, which face it, is why most of us are here. In the Steemit guideline section, it may be useful to submit an article about Steemit behaviours which cause the most irritation and leave it at that. When you see those annoying begging comments and posts, simply ignore them and instead of irritation, react with compassion. This market can seem impossible to get a break in and it is human nature to desire instant success. Simply guide new user's to Steemit help and move on. At one stage when the price of Steem was languishing, many thought the main hope for Steemit was mass adoption. Now we are hopefully in the initial stages of precisely that mass adoption, we act like spoiled, entitled brats??? Way to go.
6. We have a "new" section
All Steemit members, whether you have been here a little while or a year...visit the new section. Of course there is crap (ahem trending) but there are thousands of people like you and me who have something to say, there are undiscovered talents, awesome human beings, loyal friends, talented photographers and artists. It will be a travesty if we lost all those wonderful people due to lack of attention.
7. Comments
This is directed mostly to those of you with massive reputations, massive following and massive egos. When someone leaves a comment on your post, it means they spent time supporting you! Considering the hundreds of comments many posts receive I can understand not replying to many of them, but I upvote 99,5% of comments made on my posts, even if it is just at 1% voting power. The slider of whales goes below 1% so I feel there are no excuses not to make your supporters who played a part in propelling you into Steemit stardom feel valued.
Hopefully I am all ranted out now. I would like to say Steemit has helped me financially. It has provided (a little) hope for a better society. I am thrilled by the permanence and transparency of the blockchain. So remember every selfish action and every unselfish action is recorded forever! And to all the friends I have made, old and new, I appreciate every one of you and wish you every success, here on Steemit and in life.
Thank you for getting to the end of this rant, if in fact you did?! 
*5 is an arbitrary number that refers to a handful. Sorry (not) if it is not to your liking.
images: the ever bountiful pixabay