I have seen a lot of posts celebrating different "mile markers" here at Steemit. I hit one of the popular ones at 500 today (or yesterday). I just noticed I was at 501. The achievement provided an opportunity for reflection. Reflection on my time here at Steemit as well as on mile markers like this one.
Does 500 followers really mean anything at Steemit? At first blush, I would say "no." It means absolutely nothing. My reason for that quick answer is that most of the people who "follow" me do not read what I write and do not upvote my posts. Steemit is a popularity contest, but it is one where you really have to be a whale to get constant love. While it appears we minnows take care of each other, in reality, I have had meaningful interactions with only a fraction of 500. Those interactions, are what make this platform worthwhile to me.
So on second take, yeah, there are some good reasons to hit a milestone. First, it gave me time to reflect. Second, it probably figures into the rep equation, although hitting a milestone did not move my rep a bit. It may still be part of the equation, maybe not. Finally, if it takes ten "follows" to develop one meaningful interaction, then 500 equates to 50 interactions. That is worthwhile. If my posts are showing up on 500 feeds and getting love from only 50 people, that is better than when I started and didn't get much love at all.
Which brings me to my final point. Is any of this worth doing? Yes. That is another quick answer. I like producing content. I like interacting with the community. I like earning money. I like (love) blockchain technology. I like the platform (although it could still use some improvements). I like reading about other members adventures. I have read some awesome content here and feel a connection to the community. It is not yet a "social network" as much as a content platform, but the social will come with time. As it stands, PAL on discord and Steemit chat fill that void. The result is a platform that allows for limited social interaction, content production and a vast array of interests and adventures documented for the world to share.
Which brings me back to my question. If 500 followers cause for celebration? My first thought was "no." But on reflection, there are plenty of reasons it is a cause for celebration. It means that I am reaching more people and interacting with new friends. It means that I have had the opportunity to read about amazing adventures and perspectives, even when I disagree. It is a much nicer place to exchange ideas than Facebook, where people are just assholes most of the time. It is a Blockchain community. A Digital Almanac. A Crypto marketplace of ideas. 500 followers is evidence of my activity and interaction here. So I will celebrate with a verbose post of musings...which I hope you have actually read. :)
Thanks to 