INTRODUCTION
I just read a post by 
Now I do not like bidbots or any system that helps poor quality post get visibility to the detriment of quality content. In my own opinion, if you can write a 59 word post, slap a picture to it and get a payout of $500, why will you want to write a 1000 word post, sir? Why will you want to exert yourself for a post that will get a payout of $10 at the most? Why will you want to write even?
Also when someone who is not yet blogging on steemit, sees the steemit trending page on Google, what does he or she see? Dollars, dollars every where, right? It is an advertisement in its own right, i tell you. He or she would want to join up and make that kind of money.
Now when he or she does join and in the first month, despite his or her best efforts, his or her wallet reads below 10sbd, the next thing would be to find out how those posts on the trending page do it and what will they find? Some advertisement, right?
That being said, what is this disconnect I was talking about earlier?
When I joined steemit, I was told by 
But I am not on the trending page, I don't expect to be and neither should you except you are willing to pay the bots who now own the page, to go there. You see the trending page is now an exclusive club with a gate fee called bids. Only the rich and the stars dine there. The hardworking man on the streets of steemit has no reason being there. That is decentralisation for you; deal with it... or not.
So many times, even a curie upvote does not get you to the hot category and you would think that with the number of people who comment on your posts and tell you how much your post has helped them, you would have found your way there.
I wish these categories like 'trending' and 'hot' have no importance but they do have. You see, people want to be a part of success, they want to identify with what is believed to be success. Here on steemit, success is for sale. Do you see how easy it is to be successful? So what are you waiting for, why are you not bidding and taking your own chunk of the reward pool? You won't need to spend hours on a post, you won't need to drop posts on post promotion channels; the followers of success will come to you. Just post whatever and let the bidbots do the rest.
Pursue Excellence and success will follow, pants down.
Three Idiots, 2009
When Rancho said that, he did not know that steemit will come to disabuse his theory. For here on steemit, pursuing excellence is a fool's errand. We pursue success here and excellence follows in the shadowy distance, naked and hungry. We want to be rich and famous no matter the cost but is that not the way of the world? If everyone keeps doing it, then there must be some right to it, right?
IDEAS: A PLATFORM RESTRUCTURING
While reading the post by
The trending page as it is at present, is determined by how much a post makes, I think. Correct me, if I am wrong. I feel that the criteria that determines how a post gets on the trending page should be amended or better still, changed.
You see, I am not here to stop those using bidbots, it's their choice. After all the system allows it and I will not support the removal of that freedom of choice. What I have in mind is something that will remove the veneer with which those who use bidbots hide; visibility. I am here to give the opportunity for us to show who we truly are and what our motivations are. I believe that if my suggestions are taken, people will see the truth and hopefully, make correct decisions. I will not be surprised if this changes nothing, but one has to try, right?
Most of the users of bidbots claim that they do so because they want visibility for their posts. If this is true, then it is the fault of the platform and not their fault for making money the determining factor in aiding visibility. Basically those who claim to bid for visibility are being forced to bribe bots so they can be seen and it should not be so.
The criteria for a post to appear on the trending page should be adjusted. The focus on how much a post will make on payout should be removed from the criteria. Rather, these three options should be implemented;
- Posts with largest number of comments and interaction between the writer and his audience should be considered as worthy of being on the trending page.
- The number of human upvotes not the worth of the upvotes, should also be a factor for a post to be on the trending page. The larger the number of human upvotes, the higher the chances of appearing on the trending page.
- Finally, posts with the largest numbers of resteems should also be considered on the trending page.
If these three options are combined together in the selection of posts that appear on the trending page, the need to pay bots for visibility will be null and void.
Why did I pick these three options? Well because they encourage community and interaction which is supposed to be the mainstay of the platform.
For instance, if people comment on your post, and you reply their comments, there is interaction. Also, it shows that your post is worth something to them. They are willing to engage with you on the topic under discussion.
Also, the number of human upvotes on a particular post shows those who actually find value in your blog. They know you make posts to their liking, they read it but they may not have the time or inclination to comment on it.
Finally, resteems imply that the visitors who resteem your post found it valuable enough to share with their own audience.
CONCLUSION
This will not stop bidbots or the pursuit of success but it will stop the self deception and those who actually seek visibility genuinely will know what to do.
The questions then are;
- Are my ideas feasible? Can it work if implemented?
- If these my ideas are implemented, will you still pay bots for upvotes?
Your comments and opinions will be highly appreciated. Criticisms as well, so we can in talking find ways to make this platform something lasting.
Peace,
©warpedpoetic