It seems like it has been almost a month since "Promoted" posts started behaving a little strangely.
The "bug" (or whatever it is), manifested in mid-March as users periodically being unable to even find a "Promote" button on posts... and then there was a pervasive issue of existing promoted posts never expiring and exiting the rotation. It made "Promoted" rather meaningless.
As I checked in this morning, I decided to have a look at "Promoted" again (I have a "Future Visions for Steemit" post I've been holding off on-- wanting to promote it PROPERLY), but it seems like things have only changed marginally. I still saw one of my wife's promoted posts from back in March up there... some 35 days after she wrote it.
Does that mean things are still "broken?"
Please Explain it or Fix it-- Promoted Posts matter!
I also realize that "Promoted" started going haywire right in the middle of the controversial and ultimately rejected "original" Hardfork 17 debate... so I'm wondering if attending to this particular issue just got overlooked because the developers were really busy at the time?
Either way, Promoted posts matter!
With the rather significant influx of new contributors recently, it would be nice to not have an "old bug" like this still hanging around. Steemit needs to look fresh and "in good working order" to our newcomers!
But then there's also the more "functional angle:" Promoting a post is a great way to "burn" some Steem Dollars and take them out of circulation... but if the "Promote" feature isn't working properly, people are less likely to actually use the feature.
Yes, I know there are "workarounds," but that feels like an irrelevant excuse if you're (a) a newcomer to Steemit or (b) not technologically inclined. It's an important feature, so it should simply work.
Anyone know if anything is actually being done about "Promoted?" Or have the parameters (how long a post remains "promoted") simply changed, and I am unaware? And if it is "working," why are there still some posts up there that have been there for 30+ days?
If anyone "in the know" reads this, it would be nice to have some news or explanations!