So this will be different from my usual #500wordsaday. I usually just pick a picture and start rambling to see where I end up. I've learned that the ramble tends to end up being pretty focused. This time, I actually have an issue in mind which I would like to discuss.
When I first heard about this blockchain, I wondered how I could find my place here. What kind of content did people post here? Taking a look at all of the tags, I noticed that poetry was an option. I had written a little poetry in the past, so it seemed like something I could ease into. Plus, I had experience from posting on other sites in the past. I figured it would be kind of like that.
My previous experience mostly revolved around web 1.0 type bulletin boards. On these platforms, the topic with the newest interaction went to the top. So if I posted a poem, then commented on a poem, the one I commented on would be at the top right above mine.
To make a long story short, to stop abuse of this system, website administrators for one of the sites I was on implemented a rule:
For every post you make, you had to comment on at least three others. The goal was to ensure that each poem had at least three comments on it. Authors received words of encouragement and sometimes advice. Bonds were formed, artists collaborated and engagement was very high. Looking back, I now see how amazing it was to get so much engagement, especially with poetry because it is a difficult subject on which to comment.
So when I started posting poetry here, it was more or less natural for me to comment on the work of others. I also figured that in doing so, others might also reciprocate and comment on mine. That's basically what happened albeit a lot slower than my previous experiences. A few would reciprocate here and there, and in those instances, I formed really strong bonds and still have some of those bonds even off of the blockchain today. Other times, I was in such a drought for comments that I would straight up ask people who received a comment from me to just read my work. Sometimes, you just have to ask for it. Anyway, that had mixed results.
Eventually I got more involved with other things on the blockchain. My energies went toa things like flag wars and whatnot. I still tried to maintain some presence in the poetry world, but my engagement through commenting was lacking. At the same time, there was a trend in poetry to do low-effort posts and plagiarizing published works but changing the words. The language of poetry makes it difficult to spot such posts. I honestly got caught up in the feeling of not wanting to be duped and ended up preferring to abstain from voting anything that wasn't quickly apparent as authentic. This resulted in very decreased engagement on my part.
I want to start refocusing myself towards those efforts. Poetry is a bit of a strange place when it comes to commenting on the post. The language is sometimes intentionally vague. Readers often shy away from potentially offending authors by interpreting poems incorrectly. So it is important to work extra hard to overcome these obstacles. I once wrote an article about How to Comment on Poetry, and I figure that the best way to teach it is to demonstrate it. So that's what I'm going to do, time permitting.
To be honest, the main reason I like commenting on other's works is that they are usually so appreciative. I get some that seem to be really touched by my interpretations. I have received many heartfelt "Thank yous". It's rewarding.
My hope is that through interacting with other poets, I spark others to engage more. Perhaps they will start following the 3:1 rule and leaving 3 comments for every post they drop. Who knows, maybe the movement will spread throughout hive. That would be great.
Well, I gotta go. It's late here. See y'all around.
photo by me, Cheektowaga art by my daughter