why I think BUYING UPVOTES is ruining Steemit for the rest of us
This is opinion, but I do present my reasoning, and it's all open for debate. I think it's an important topic that's affecting all Steemians, and hope you'll read with an open mind.
Note: If you're offended and feel attacked by what you read, but can't find any error in what I'm saying, consider your intentions here and the reason you reacted that way.
What's the problem?
In all systems, there are those who get an edge through their unique skills and hard work, and those who prefer other methods. I want to talk about one particular method some Steemians use to "make money" here, which harms the community and benefits only those who take part.
If you take any action that benefits you in some way, and does not benefit (or harms) the blockchain, this may be directed to you. The action itself may be small, but a pattern of such behaviour almost ensures you're a problem for the rest of us.
One example: buying upvotes
Steemit only works sustainably if users upvote quality content, finding hidden gems and getting them noticed, elevating voices that resonate, while downvoting spam and ignoring distractions. If I pay another user to upvote my content, I'm taking away from that process that finds quality content and hides spam. In return, I'm gaining visibility for my content, regardless of its quality. I'm also gaining reputation and money. I'm gaming the system - manipulating it to benefit personally. I'm like a vampire, a mosquito, a bedbug, or a leech.
"If you don't do it, you won't be seen here. We used to be able to get by with content alone. Nowadays, you need to join curation trails and use votebots!"
I hear that ALL the time, and I can't disagree with any part of it. Yes, it's becoming necessary to 'play the game' to make it from scratch, unless you're already a celebrity, or you've got really special content. 'The Grind' from nothing, which used to take months, now takes years... if it's even possible anymore.
But I disagree with the "if you can't beat em join em" strategy. We can't ALL win by buying votes. It's simply not possible that all of us can get rich here if nobody's actually providing high quality unique content. Period. No amount of gaming things will make that happen. So those who choose to do that are putting their needs before EVERYBODY else's, and contributing to the problem. Imagine a line of leeches, all sucking the blood out of the leech in front, eventually coming back in a circle. The system won't last.
Okay, you got me, his exact quote was something slightly different - "making excuses" - but it's still true. If users put their effort into self promotion, they're not putting it into increasing the value of their posts and comments. Over time, they come to rely on their self promotion and vote buying to maintain their income. They become good for little else.
And every time they do it, they're degrading the potential of this code and the people contributing content to it. That isn't WHY they do it, but it's a consequence on their actions.
A few months ago, other Steemians were telling me using votebots is "like investing 2 today, and getting 3 back tomorrow". I guess the scheme is losing potency the more people jump aboard, because nowadays the question is more like "if you could pay 10 to get 11 tomorrow, why wouldn't you?"
If it's only a financial question, then I probably would. But if consideration of others is part of the discussion - and for me it is - then no, I wouldn't pay 10 to get 11 tomorrow.
Would you? DO you?
Can we learn to 'play nicely together' in order to increase Steemit's quality, size, utility, and value? Long-term, that's how we ALL do the best.
That's MY vote.
DRutter
All this bought and paid for crap is really against the idea of steemit (at least how it was presented to me).
I personally refuse to unconditionally support curation trails as this leads to votes going to content I don't value. I would never set an auto vote, I have never paid for clicks and never will.
I am willing to support quality content at any chance I get!
Not to pick on this guy in particular, but I saw this "trending" or "hot" post recently. This is the kind of stuff that dominates Steemit - information about how to make more money on Steemit. Outsiders see this, and wonder "how does any of that interest ME?" and for the most part, it doesn't. We're a site about ourselves. An echo chamber animal farm, quickly becoming a ponzi scheme.
I try and contribute as much content as I can that ISN'T about how to click one's way to prosperity.
It's pretty funny that many of the people treating steemit like a business are missing the one thing that makes a business successful in the long run - quality service or products.
Since steemit is a platform based on content, content is the product or service.
Circle jerking your way to up-votes around low-quality posts may result in a short-term payout but ultimately will devalue the platform as whole, to the point where steem will be virtually worthless.
The rewards pool may be doing as much harm as good. I am really hoping the platform will "self adjust" in the near future. If not, I guess it was designed to fail and we will need to work towards developing a platform more suitable to quality.
I agree, there's no way to circlejerk to prosperity. There's inefficiency built into the circlejerk system - it's doomed to fail eventually. You're right, CONTENT is what this site produces, it's you and I who power it. It's why readers come to it, it's why people sign up, it's where upvotes are earned (the ones that aren't bought!)
Maybe there will be an adjustment of some kind. I think there are too many good people here for it just to fizzle. I hope something happens soon, so I know to either pour things into Steemit, or diversify away.
Always be diversified...
BOOM, that's a 100% upvote comment, right there.
(Sorry it's only worth 6c currently.... it was 30c just a few months ago...)
Glad to have found you.
No apology accepted lol, my vote is only worth 1c!
Upvoted, and Resteemed.
I’m starting to really understand that for me to grow as a steemian it is not viable, nor even necessary for me to use upvote bots anymore. It was really starting to be a habit for me since that is really what I was taught at first. But probably because the bots used to be very profitable! Probably like paying 3 for 11 back when sbd was at 6$. But i also never used a bid bot unless I truly felt it was good content.Now not perfect content but interesting and engaging content. But I totally agree with you. But on the other hand steemit is based off circles of people sticking together and supporting each other, which is why curation trails is a good thing . But then again I’m new to the concept and am always not afraid to change my mind, just like the bots.
But also from my personal experience the best relationships I do have on steemit have been developed organically.
Thanks for being honest and getting a great issue brought up!
I think that technically there are ways that trails and pools and bots (etc) can be used legitimately and in a way that doesn't ruin the vital "content-finding" ability of the site.
For example, bots allow users to send each other "gifts", in a way. Like when you bought an upvote for my post last week, and it was appreciated. Then again, maybe the "gift" could have been the SBD instead of the vote. Then I could put that directly toward my growth, without it going through the "vote buying" cycle which games the system.
I'm not really sure either, but I think it's an important issue, even though it's hard to talk about because this is done all the time, by a large portion of the site's users.
Thanks for encouraging me, and also for not taking this personally. I just want Steemit and all of us to do well long term, and I think focusing on content is key.
That’s a great point about sending the sbd instead of bot! Wow! That’s the first and best argument against buying other people’s bots! Steemit is a very exciting and confusing place. My outlook and view changes everyday.
I love that about this place! Another reason it's worthwhile trying to make it last!
I've never paid for a vote, nor will I. I do believe that minnows should upvote their own stuff in the beginning. You won't have many if any followers, and there really is not another good option. Curation pays absolutely nothing, or at least close to it. I also believe that upvoting your comments moves you out of the mud of the BS comments that people tag on and run, hoping to get some pittance from them. Abusing the system for money is like beating the crap out of a vending machine to get it to spill its coins. The machine's all busted up, you got no coins for your trouble, and now no one else can use it legitimately.
I agree there's some strategic value for minnows to upvote some of their comments. They're unable to make the 2c cutoff for payout that way, so all they're doing is marking their comment as non-spam, basically.
I like the busted machine analogy!
Reset my vote. Best of luck.