Crying over spilled milk.
Hey Milkers, Circle-Jerkers, Downvoters, Sincere Users, Content Snobs and Disillusioned Steemians.
It's official, I did not make a post yesterday, thus failing my own challenge. :)
I'm still going to make a post today. I've been engaging and it's been a lot of fun to see where the #MilkandTators #milkandtaters have freed some people up to make a post.
Why do I want engagement and activity?
Because most internet sites are judged by activity and number of active users. It has always been my position that limiting our end-users to quality content creators limits activity and stifles users. As you can clearly see I am not a writer and I don't want to be. Many do not have the desire or interest in creating long, beautifully formatted posts. That doesn't mean we shouldn't reward those who do, but it is the Internet, and some goofing around is fine too.
Many reasonable people could make a case for Quality Content or just engagement and fun. It is just a difference in point of view, vision and likely skill sets. No need to demonize the other point of view.
Name recognition and networks matter, it isn't all about the content and I can assure you hardly anyone is sitting around reading all the posts and trying to reward them based on the quality. We know that people have a tendency to support who and what they like. Clearly visibility is also part of getting followers and votes, and that is part of the reason I am encouraging you to go comment on some other people's posts! So, they get to know your name!
I had an interesting conversation on Twitter with an end-user who wanted to participate in the beta and thought he would need a different account for each front end.
I hadn't thought about the idea that many may not understand the difference in the blockchain and accessing it via different front-ends. So, a quick note, you username and keys will allow you to interact with most of the front-ends on Steem. Steemit.com and Steempeak.com are both updating the same Steem Blockchain. The only difference is where you log in and how you view and interact with the data in the chain. While you can have more than one account for various activities, it is not a requirement. I strongly recommend setting up KeyChain.
Also a quick comment on Downvotes, if you want to help normalize them, try not calling people names and being shitty while you give them out. If you dislike downvotes that's understandable, but the upvote and downvote are built into the blockchain and both serve a purpose. That doesn't mean everyone uses them well. Every post on Steem is open for 1 week, the community gets to react to your post with upvotes and downvotes and at the end of the week you keep the balance.
Regardless of whether or not you like downvotes they are programmed into the blockchain and they will be used and sometimes poorly.
I've seen some of the oldest accounts rush out to make a post justifying their downvotes or complaining about a downvote they received. That's not helping.
There are basically three ways to react to a post:
- Upvote
- Ignore
- Downvote
I view it like this, upvote what you think is good for Steem, ignore what is neutral and downvote what you think is harmful. (Everyone has different opinions)
Yes, I know several of you are going to tell me about a "bad downvote" you received. Yes, I agree some people use their downvotes in ways I disagree with, but it is their stake and they are allowed to make good or bad decisions with what they do with it.
Oh look a burning potato gif, how fun!