There is something I have always found interesting in the behavior of people on Steem and that is that while everyone wants to do their own thing, they have an expectation of result. I don't just mean quality of result, I mean that they expect a certain result from doing their own thing even if their own thing isn't the kind of thing that resonates with many people in the community. It is not bad to have expectations, unless you tie your ideals of success and value to them and, rely on the results of action.
That was a mouthful wasn't it?
The thing is that while everyone is able to do their own thing on Steem, there is no way the results are going to be equal, nor is it ever going to be consistent except for the vested stake that one controls. The only thing people really can rely on here is the draw on the pool that their stake allows them and even then, there are variables.
The problem is though that people like to look at the numbers of the system and draw conclusions to them but, only look at some of the numbers. Sure, it is easy to see that one account earns more or less than another or, see where the voters come from and the like but, that is only half of the story. I was in a discussion today where someone said that people should be able to get 3-4 dollars a post but the problem is, that is about 10 Steem.
Hmm. There are ~500,000 Steem in the pool each week at the current inflation rate of 8.5 and every day there are about 12,000 top level posts (not including comments), so ~84,000 posts a week and, this is the LOW. so if each was to get 10 Steem a post, there would need to be 40% more Steem in the pool. But, that 500,000 also goes to witnesses who secure and process transactions and interest on Staked Steem which means, there is only about 375,000 Steem available. Oh, and then there is the 25% for curation so about 300,000 available.
So in actual fact, the pool needs to be about 3x larger to get that value which then obviously means, a higher rate of inflation and a resulting lower price which then means each account needs 30 Steem to get 3 or 4 dollars in value. Or some crap like that. My point is, it doesn't work that way. Also, that "equality" doesn't factor in any type of difference between content at all.
But the inflation pool is meant to be for content creators...
If you haven't noticed, Steem is not a blogging platform exclusively and hasn't been for a very long time already but, people who blog assume they are the only content creators on the platform. What about Steemmonsters, drugwars and whatever else is out there and yet to come? Do they not add value? They definitely add a lot of transactions onto the blockchain, much more than an individual blog is likely to do.
But, this is a digression from where the post was going.
While people believe that there is meant to be some kind of equality of result, they are mistaken, this isn't a country, it isn't a government and it isn't built to be fair other than, to provide an opportunity of ownership with a value that is going to be tied to a multitude of factors and influences but, each has a chance to play the game as they can. I say game because it is about decision making, not a board game.
People make their decisions on the resources they have available to them and that goes beyond what they have in their wallet, bank account or stuffed under their mattress. The problem is that it is the economic value where most people focus their attention without thinking about all of the other factors, while still wanting to do what they want and earn what they want.
I work two jobs currently but the one I have done the longest is run my own business, with customers and everything. You know that line about, work for yourself and do what you want? It is BULLSHIT. Working for yourself means that you don't get to do much of what you want at all because to make a living out of it, one has to satisfy the customers, the ones who are paying for service or product.
The only people who get to o what they want are those who have earned enough to invest and get a return out of it that provides an adequate amount to do what they want. The people on Steem who are expecting consistent earnings from their content alone are unlikely to be satisfied in the short term, or the long term. But, nothing is stopping them from trying to play the game that way at all.
Yes, everyone can do what they wan but it means that everyone is going to do slightly diffrent at least with potentially very different backgrounds, skills and god/devil/simulation master given talents. Expecting returns from one system that are able to satisfy all users even economically is nonsensical because, there is no end to want and once people are getting satisfied, it attracts more people which means now everyone must split their earnings again. The economics don't work that way.
What does work long-term though is when Steem is much, much more than it is now and the inflation pool is not the only way to earn Steem or SMTs because, there will be actual businesses on the blockchain with products, services and employees that give multiple use case for multiple things and in turn, the business will also demand products and services. What I mean is that in time, people will start hooking their real world income streams into blockchains.
Yes, blockchainS. There are going to be many, many blockchains and while some may be similar to Steem, others are going to have completely different purposes. All of us are going to be interacting across multiple chains in multiple ways and transacting across them also. This attitude of, "I am leaving to greener pastures" is the thinking of someone who doesn't think very far into the future at all. You know the type?The ones who will never be able to do what they want because they are always going to have to chase.
In my limited knowledge opinion, Steem is not ready for people to live off but, they are willing to try. Just don't complain about it if it doesn't satisfy needs as it isn't built nor is it anywhere near ready to become the charity blockchain. At the moment, people complain about how hard it is to earn on Steem yet, here they are complaining meaning that, it isn't easy to earn anywhere. If you are able to earn more in other places, why aren't you? This isn't a 'if yo don't like it, leave' statement, it is an honest question.
Why aren't you earning somewhere else if you can? Perhaps you cold earn more but, you don't want to do that kind of work, you don't want a boss, you are isolated, your country is falling apart, you are ill, you are depressed, you are untalented, lazy or just can't be fucked waking up early. Whatever it is, you don't or aren't able to do it. Yet, with only about 20,000 people on the Steem blockchain currently, no matter what issues you may face at the local level, most people at your local level, aren't on Steem and do not have access to any Steem whatsoever. What the hell are they doing to survive?
This world is pretty fucking unfair isn't it?
But, here is the thing with that, it is not unfair because of Steem, it is made that way because of generations upon generations being forced into debt cycles and a million other things and, the continual chase is only perpetuating the problem. At some point, we as the majority have to start waking the fuck up and begin taking responsibility for our problems, facing our fears and risking ownership of the resources. That is the opportunity people have on Steem, to start earning and owning resources in a way that is currently outside of the full reach of those who run us into the ground.
This is the game, the decisions we make and the whatever the hell we do to try and make it through a life that for the most part and for the majority of the world's population is fucking struggle every single day in ways that no one else can ever understand, no matter how stupidly empathetic they think they are. Compassion is the thing people need to have and compassion isn't sitting down in the gutter with those in pain, it is finding ways to help them but, with the scale of the problem and numbers in need, it isn't some 3 year old blockchain printing digital currency that is the answer to everyone's misdirected prayers but, it is part of the conversation that could help.
Short-term thinking isn't going to solve problems that have been created over the last several thousand years and while some people might become insanely wealthy, others rich, some well off and many happy they gave it a go, it is not the be all and end all of the game, it is the bloody start of the game.
It is up to you how you play with the tools you have but spouting about ideals and fairness is not going to get anyone very far because, it has nothing to do with the way the game is being played at any level. If you want a future position, the work has to be done now. If you want results now, you had to do the work before. If you want to do what you want, you have to control the resources required to do what you want. And in general, if you want to control resources, you have to get them first.
Rather than doing what you want, do what you need to fucking do first. Every decision we make has an impact on our future and all carry a cost of some kind. All carry a cost. Don't forget it when you look at what others have or don't have.
A tired rant.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]