I got a comment from an account recently, and the effort they put into that comment was topnotch. It was clear they had enjoyed what they had read, and I was happy to respond accordingly.
Then I remembered I had received a comment from this account a while ago and had forgotten to check them out, so this time I decided to check their account to see who they were and what type of content they created, and all I discovered was that they put in a lot of effort into their posts, even though they do not earn as much.
Although it is a type of niche that they enjoy, not everyone will like what they create because, let us be honest, we all know what we like and what we want to see.
For example, I enjoy splinterlands content because it teaches me playing strategies while also allowing me to educate myself about the cards, time spent, and financial aspects; all for the purpose of learning.
So this account focused on a niche/interest that they enjoyed and stuck to it, which allows them to make posts without feeling like they are putting in too much effort for too little.
So after checking them out, I dropped a tipu vote, left a comment and used for own vote to curate them, it wasn't much, but it was something, perhaps an encouragement for them to keep posting. Will I continue to curate them? Yes.
Why? Didn't I just say I didn't have an interest in their niche? Well yes I don't, but they're putting in effort in their comments and posts, and this is enough for them to have support.
It means I'll continue to check out their post and curate their contents because of their personality on-chain and not because of their content.
Let's be honest, content is 30% why most people get curated on Hive. Sometimes the account's personality accounts for 50%, 20% of their on-chain footprints, and 30% of the content.
The concept of quality is relative.
So what is quality?
Most times all we do is just above decent post, and most of the time the network or the evidence of a contribution we've done long ago is one of the reasons why people get support.
This is not to say that content must be bad, but sometimes we like people before we like their content. We are not always close to the people whose content we consume, and vice versa.
However, because their content is exceptional, we occasionally like them, and as a result, we have evolved to enjoy whatever they create. This is how content creation work everywhere. It is not unique to Hive, as you may believe.
Most of the time, we believe that Hive's content creation is flawed, but it is not; it is perfect, and we are the ones who consume for various reasons and interests.
So "quality" is just a fancy term?
I recently saw a post from a Hive user, they had recently joined a project somewhere else and they were putting in mad works to get recognized with the top ranks of the project.
You might think this guy is insane; in fact, he does not need to put in the amount of energy required to scale Hive, so why is he putting it elsewhere? Because in web3, people prioritize effort and personality over productivity and end result.
Effort without rewards sounds stupid
So why?
Faith and trust in the process is why.
I used to follow a 35-year-old creator on Facebook; he has a rare form of medical condition that prevents him from working, but he chose to be a creator on Facebook.
If I were to rate his content creation in percentages, I would say he does just about averagely well, giving him a 4/10. However, I do not really follow them because of their video editing abilities.
I followed this person because of the uniqueness of their story and the reality of their struggles . Now a lot of people are fond of abusing his shortcoming, but these people are always coming everyday to watch his videos.
Even if they only criticize him, they will continue to watch his videos because, let us be honest, they enjoy the truth behind his story and personality.
However, I admit that I sometimes prefer to curate only what I enjoy or read, but in recent months, I have decided to go beyond that.
Sometimes we don't need to stay within a niche of interest to do the duty of curation. Now, I know I'm throwing the "Curation" word everything, and I shouldn't because I don't have enough stake, but I'm lucky to be a curator with tipu, and most of the time I take advantage of this.
However, I mostly use it for accounts for which I believe my vote is insufficient, as well as to increase their potential reward. I have been given before, and it would be foolish not to reciprocate.
Find a position; find an edge
As for Curation, everyone who is handing out a vote does so with partial emotions, forget the "quality" phrase. Sometimes we like the person, maybe they speak with the same accent as us, or it is something completely different; as I have previously stated, it is not a Hive thing, it is a human thing, so the system is not flawed; it is simply designed to work the way we want.
So, just as you would in real life, try to leave positive on-chain footprints, make more friends than colleagues, and find long-term users with whom you can align. Most people in real life keep the same friends for 50 years, so why not join a group of users and grow with them over time?
Interested in some more of my posts
Why Is the grind getting harder?
Monopoly Is the Death of Civilization
Survival: Choas and Scarcity
Crypto: Gut & meaningful Connections
What is the primary barrier to entry in Web3?
What Are Some Things You Should not Do During A Bull Market Year?
