Is It Really a Question of #thediarygame or No Diaries at All?
I have been quite busy these past few days, so I was mainly focused on my travelogue. Today, I was supposed to write part 2 of the third entry, but my attention was caught by Steemitblog and some comments that followed.
There’s a discussion going on about what should be done with #thediarygame. Most people are saying that it should be discontinued, that it has become outdated, and that people write about trivial things like brushing their teeth, how they washed their face in the morning, or how many times they went to the washroom. All that is fine, but... I think it still has a lot of potential. It’s the only tag that can be used in so many different ways. Even during my curation, I found the most unique posts under this tag and title.
Now, the question is how to use it. That’s the real point. How to make it unique!
I have vehemently played with two tags and topics so far ... food and travel diaries, along with some fiction and essays. Believe me, there’s so much room for creativity in them that if you explore them, you’ll never run out of content.
I can give you plenty of examples, both from my blog and from others'. You are free to explore my posts under these tags!
The key point is that this tag should not be overlooked. It shouldn’t be discarded, but at the same time, it shouldn't be misused, which I believe is the real issue. Misuse can take many forms, to be honest. I may be biased toward #thediarygame, but I have good reasons for it. Can you think of any other topic with as much versatility? This is a blogging platform—teaching and engagement are important, and they should be encouraged, but I believe #thediarygame is the core of creativity and the essence of blogging here. I don’t know who originally came up with the idea, probably the team, but it's brilliant. And I’m not ready to let it go just yet.
It can be used alongside various topics like travel, food, daily hassles, self-catharsis, DIYs, personal reflections, goal setting, or even health and fitness journeys.
I mean, what's the issue—other than it being an older tag?
Honestly, it can still be used creatively, even if you're writing about your daily chores! You could tie it into things like:
- productivity tips
- hobbies
- health
- or even storytelling through daily experiences
Recently I have been using it in conjunction with my travel experiences! Yes: THE TRAVEL DIARIES.
Go ahead, play with it, dress it, undress it, do whatever you like but just don't abuse it. And I am sure something good will come out it.
I sacrificed my travel log today for this suggestion because I was worried there might be a push to completely get rid of it. I’ve noticed that when sc01 or sc02 say something, people take it very seriously and hesitate to speak up or offer a different opinion, even when they're simply asking for feedback.
Please, come forward and show your creativity. I truly believe that this tag could become a legacy for Steemit. Let’s carry it forward!
I will stop here and wait for your suggestions in comments!
First of all, I would like to ask you: Who should forbid you to write a diary?
Right, nobody!
If you enjoy it, then keep doing it. If the content is appealing and doesn't just contain banalities, it will find readers and curators.
The question, which is the real background to the discussion, is: Do I get enough attention from the SC if I use this or that tag? Do we really want to have this discussion?
I think everyone should write the post they want to write. Use the tags that describe your post in a best way.
No one! Of course, no one. And I will continue to pursue what I enjoy. I believe you understand my point.
As for the background, I’m aware of it, and I’ve written in the same context. Not everyone here is as attuned to the dynamics as perhaps you or I might be. If you ever take on the role of a curator, you may understand where my suggestion comes from. Even people like me sometimes appreciate a bit of direction.
As a reader, I personally find the title and tag intriguing. As for the votes by the SC, that’s a separate conversation. Sometimes, it does happen that content goes unrecognized or is voted on unfairly. But that’s just part of the process. After all, it’s not only about the diaries.
Sometimes I wonder what might be wrong with my post, especially when I see posts from writers friends more support than they probably deserve, simply because they are known as good writers. Yes, there are banalities, and at times, things may feel unjust. And there are also times when even I receive more votes than I feel my post deserves.
I would say I'm biased towards this tag, maybe after my experience of curation. You are right, the background is there... But that's my perception towards it...
It is difficult. Not every post can be liked in the same way. Which votes a post gets depends on many (sometimes random) factors. Apart from the guaranteed buy votes. Let's leave those out of the discussion.
You don't have to doubt yourself because of a lack of votes.
I can only go by my own experience. I rarely look at special tags, but rather at my feed. If you're not among my followers, it's a bit more difficult for you to be seen by me. Then I have a look at some of the communities I subscribe to... and then the time is (usually) up.
If I write more comments, the time may be up sooner. Or I have to do a bit more research regarding a user's post... You see, what or who I read in a day is very different, and it can also be, for example, that I don't read a post of yours, although it would certainly have been interesting. Incidentally, I don't like to read something from the same user every day. I like a bit of variety.
I only search for tags when I want to read up on specific topics, and that is definitely not the diary tag.
Ouch ;))
Yes, I get your point. I just replied to Denmarkguy, mentioning that if we take voting by SC out of the equation, all this discussion about the diary game is for nothing. I’m not sure if you’ve come across the comments and discussions I’m referring to, but the thing is: although it wasn’t meant to be, it still serves as "extra coins" for some people. Many of them are genuinely hardworking; they just need a little bit of direction, and sometimes a small push (and a tag or two) to get noticed by the bigger eyes.
Whereas I think #thediarygame is definitely useful, in terms of teaching people how to get into a routine of journaling their experiences, the downside seems to be that it can become rather formulaic, and people end up writing about trivialities (as you suggest) in service of little more than following a set of rules so they can get a reward.
Which leaves the community with a rather large dose of bland and colorless content... which is not good as a "window to the world," in terms of attracting new users.
There's always the option of "splintering" the Diary Game — what you're perhaps suggesting — and instead have things like:
TDG-Travel
TDG-Art
TDG-Food
TDG-Work
TDG-Pets
TDG-Gardening
TDG-Family
and so forth, perhaps encouraging people to pick something that inspires them and then putting a little more effort into it.
Just "thinking out loud" here!
Thanks for thinking out loud, because many of these thoughts have crossed my mind too. You're much older and more experienced than me, and yes, it has indeed become formulaic, as you mentioned. But my point here: What I'm suggesting is to write about trivial things now and then, but with a twist.
Your next suggestion, about splintering the content, is a really good one. However, there are two issues:
First, tags—especially those curated by teams—have become problematic. It's not ideal to focus too much on specific tags, but that's just how things work now. No matter how much the team tries to relax, modify, or loosen the old rules, the curators aren't ready to let go of those strict standards yet. I'm not sure what exactly happened during the time of the split or how people became so rigid about these things, but it'll take time for the newer approach to be fully accepted.
Secondly, splintering or categorizing tags and topics can make everything more defined, but as a reader, I sometimes enjoy a bit of surprise. While I don't use the title "diary game" so blatantly—my titles tend to be more self-explanatory—I find that discovering something unexpected within a diary entry makes it all the more enjoyable. (This might sound a bit absurd, but it's just me fantasizing about stumbling upon something out of the box while reading a diary. ;) )
Am I also thinking out loud, well maybe :)
Thank you so much, Denmarkguy, for your suggestions. I believe something good and productive will come from these, and hopefully, many more to come. A pool of suggestions like this can be incredibly constructive, as it offers diverse perspectives that help refine ideas and lead to more effective solutions.
At the risk of going a bit off-topic, tags are definitely an issue in the current iteration of Steemit.
When you create a post, one tag is automatically taken by the community you post to, and then people have a "country tag" and likely a "steemexclusive" tag, so now you've already used 3 of 8 tags. And then people add a "club" tag, so now we're up to 4 of 8 tags used. And there might be a "burnsteem" tag in there. Then we add a tag for Diary Game (or whatever challenge you're doing) and now 5-6 of 8 tags are spoken for.
But let's back up for a sec.
Tags are ideally supposed to help with content discovery, in terms of categorizing posts... are they about pets? Gardening? Crypto? Travel? On the bigger scale of things, I'd submit it's more important that tags represent the gist of what a post is about, and don't just serve as attempts to attract curator attention.
This was before your time with us, but the old "SteemPeak" front end — which a LOT of people used — had better usability and allowed for up to ten tags, which helped a little... and the (unspoken) convention seemed to be that the first five tags were for categorizing the post (might be "travel, italy, holiday, adventure, travelphotography") and then the remainder were more for calling communities and curators. Or you just added more ID stuff. Not suggesting it was a perfect system — by any means — but it was OK, at least.
Of course, Steemit is a constantly evolving community... but — as you said — tags have become problematic. In my opinion, mostly because they have become too "generic," and don't actually help sort content... even for the curators/challenge managers who insist on their use. We all need to do better!
And that falls to both leaders and participants. Leaders might do well to use more specific tags for each challenge, be it by week, or by sequence number so a click on the tag brings up only what they currently need. Meanwhile, participants must be encouraged to dial down the "vote fishing" with tags and instead trust the process a little more.
Truth in disclosure: I don't really participate in a lot of challenges, so I don't know the full depth of issues curators face, when it comes to tags.
But it's good to have these discussions and toss ideas around! So thank you for this!
If we remove the voting by SC from the equation, this entire discussion becomes irrelevant.
As for veering off-topic, it’s important to acknowledge that in this Steemverse, which was never meant to replace a traditional job, many consider it a side gig—for a large number of writers here, it is just that. You, I, and a few others can go weeks without writing (though I love it here, and it’s become an integral part of my life). Yet, if I find myself in challenging situations—whether due to not feeling well or any other number of reasons—I won’t be too affected by the absence of writing. However, that’s not the case for everyone, and that’s the reality...
Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by. I must admit, your writing style is both precise and concise, and your choice of words is exceptional. After reading your suggestions, it’s clear that you truly understand my point and have articulated your thoughts beautifully. I have yet to come across a writer like you.
I have not used this tag and have never written posts in The Diary Game format. Although when something interesting happens in my life, I write about it. But asking the question about the necessity and expediency of diary posts is strange to me. Steemit is a decentralized platform where everyone does what they want. If a person wants to write a diary, I don't see any obstacles to it.
Yes, I understand that some of The Diary Games are completely uninteresting. This problem will be in any topic. Even if we announce that from now on only scientific treatises are valued, there will always be people who will write a crappy scientific treatise in the hope of making a few bucks.
In order for us to see only interesting content, only those posts that are of high quality should earn rewards. This is the only way. It can be creativity, a diary, cooking or a story, but it should be interesting, cool, high-quality. Therefore, if there are people who want to write diaries, then let them write.
Thank you, friend!
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