Hey, hope I'm not bothering you but, but I am putting together a dolphin pod. It's just going to be 10 people that delegate 2000 SP each to the ************** account and then everyone will get a 100% upvote everyday. If someone leaves the pod we would fill the spot to keep it at 10. One of the reasons I approached you is because you fit the profile of the people I want in the group. just a thought. Let it me know if you're interested and wanna chat about it!
This is a Discord message I got from someone in their high 60s rep and who has been on the platform since near the beginning. "One of the reasons I approached you is because you fit the profile of the people I want in the group." means, I have the SP, because they have obviously never read any of my content.
Surprisingly, this is the first such express invite I have received in my time here but this kind of thing is quite common. It is called circle-jerking, collusion, vote-trading or, as I would affectionately call it, being an asshole. My thoughts on this are open so this is likely I have never been 'invited' before.
It is a way to keep votes and self-vote in a tight group without having to actually look like self-voters. Yeah, I have to self-vote to cover my delegation and the more the price drops, the more I have to. So be it, I will openly do it, people can judge me for it but I am doing my best and have done in the past and will do again support others more heavily when I can.
Know your audience. This person didn't know theirs.
My response was:
Not really, I think this kind of thing is 'almost' as harmful as bidbots.
When I say almost as harmful, at least doing it this way doesn't actually cost other platform users their liquid SBD to help me grow my account. Other than that, these circles are a big part of the issue and before delegation and bidbots, they were one of the most talked about problems on the platform. These and auto-votes were why the same authors appeared in Trending every single day and why those same authors now are among the big users here now.
This was the next message, and last.
Thanks for your reply. It's actually a response to that situation. I expect that answer from the type of people I approached. It looks like you're killing it anyway. Steem on sir.
The 'response' to bidbots was to do something almost a harmful. Well played. Instead of dropping Nuclear Bombs, shoot everyone one by one instead.
It looks like you're killing it anyway.
For a little perspective about 'killing it', last night I had a look at some of my old posts from when Steem was just over 1 dollar, I had less than 1000 followers, my SP was under 10,000, I paid for no delegation, didn't always self-vote and rarely got large votes from anyone. My average was the same, in fact, I am getting less now than then.
This is not complaining about support, it is what it is and I have always accepted it. What this shows though is how much affect the bidbots and circle-jerks are having on the platform. I am voting with 4 times more SP, I have 4 times more followers, Steem price is 70% more currently and yet, I am getting less. That is pretty incredible is it not?
What this means is my stake isn't as valuable as it could be if the bots weren't draining the pool. It means that everyone's vote is worth even less than the STEEM price indicates as there is so much of the pool being commandeered for such narrow sets of recipients. The pool is a limited resource each day and the draw on the pool dictates how much goes to each vote.
But, this message I received is part of the problem, a response of long-term users who are used to getting more deciding to take matters into their own circles. It is a poor response indeed but, it is understandable as people are trying to increase their stake at a time that their personal stakes are under-powered due to the bidbot drain. It would be the same of course if all whales self-voted 10 times per day too but in an organic environment, that doesn't really happen and, when it has, there have been flags flying.
The bidbots remove the ability to flag this kind of behaviour though since, there is no target. You either flag the users who despite their content are largely innocent and using the platform 'as it is designed' or... what? Can't flag the bidbots.
I don't know much about laws but in the US and especially at Steemit people talk about 2nd amendment rights.
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Ever wondered about what that actually means? I am sure you have. It means that the people have the ability to rise up against the government if they overstep their bounds. Americans fight heavily for this and argue a lot but, what government, what face will they actually defend against if it is faceless?
This is the same with the flag system here, it is a 'right to bear arms' but, to use those arms requires a target. The bidbots take away the target. No matter who has the arms, the only way to fight them is to attack the users of them, collateral damage, human shields. It is akin to an army fighting through the streets as to fight back means to harm innocents and that is no way to win hearts and minds. Even if one does 'win', the damage done might be irreparable.
We are held to ransom, as is our stake. They have formed a decentralised government who are taxing other users by making the system a pay to play environment. They are restricting the use of stake by drawing large gulps of the pool for a narrow band, those who play their game. This is similar to net neutrality, throttling internet speeds of some users and only opening up bandwidth to 'preferred' sites, those who pay.
There is nothing to be done. If you had an idea that at least here you had a little freedom, you are mistaken, you are governed, what you own here is governed, how you use it is governed and how much of it you use is governed. You might want to complain but, to who? They are faceless and for the most part, silent. They don't need to campaign, they weren't elected and the only reason they exist is for profit. You thought democracy was bad, this is a bidbot dictatorship.
By the way, to the person who sent me the message. If that is your 'response' to bidbots, perhaps you should stop using them yourself.
Taraz
[ a Steemit original ]