I have been MIA for five months now, give or take – I have OFTEN missed writing and sharing, but I have never been one for rules and my re-kindled enthusiasm for coming back to Steemit was promptly snubbed when I began to feel “restricted”. Nothing said or done to me directly, but rather to my son @judethedude… who was told very subtly that he would “be better off” if he did not share his blurt.blog details in his footer on Steemit posts. This REALLY rubbed me the wrong way! If anything, it made me want to flip the bird to Steemit and give my full attention to Blurt, as well as direct his there.

He is 15. A teenager in 2025. A boy. And you HAD him. He was writing 1000+ word “self-imagined” stories… WHY would you do anything to ruin that?! Make him feel scolded for such a trivial reason! It made my blood boil, because he came to me with it and clearly felt that his mother’s advice of “you just do you” – did not do! It was not good enough and it got him into “trouble”. He is no idiot, and as a relatively shy, contemplative child… he retreated.

If you go to ANY international business website - a professionally run one at any rate, they are going to have links to handles for every social media platform available... and they don't squabble with one another about who is using which and what!!

Lack of vision right there!!!!!

When I first joined Steemit in 2016, it was with excitement, hope, and passion. As someone who has always loved writing and has done so in many varying facets over my career, the idea of connecting with a global audience while earning a little extra for my efforts felt like a dream. I threw myself into it, dedicating years to building a very notable community – not just on Steemit but one which carried on to Hive too, after the fork. Yet, looking back, most of what I felt in those spaces was… unwanted. Especially by the “big fish” – because I had a mouth on me and I refused to keep it shut!

Let me be clear: writing is one of my greatest passions. It always has been, and it always will be. Nothing and no one can take that away from me. But every time I muster the enthusiasm to return to platforms like this one, something pulls me back. It’s like there are invisible eyes watching, judging, and imposing unwritten rules.

"You can do this, but don’t do that."
"Is this a quality post or a waste of space?"
"Are you engaging enough with others? Are you contributing enough?"

It’s exhausting.

To be honest, it’s not just the rules, it’s the money. Or more specifically, the way the money warps the culture. Thanks to a heads-up from @quirk-it, I recently read a post by @soulfuldreamer as well as the many comments and one in which I was tagged by @o1eh, and it all resonated a familiar bell. One of the many topics discussed… the question of why "lighter" posts… those that aren’t deep, intellectual, or groundbreaking, aren’t seen as acceptable. Who decides this? Who’s the judge and jury? And why does the fear of being “cancelled” for breaking some unspoken rule loom so large?

For years, people have asked why platforms like Steemit, Hive, Blurt, and Publish0x haven’t attracted the masses. Isn’t it obvious? It’s the money. With money come rules, obligations, and expectations – or at least that is the way it has been formulated by such spaces… (with the exception of Blurt, which has no “cancel” function) – Suddenly, writing isn’t just about expression; it’s about meeting standards, staying active, pleasing communities, and hitting arbitrary engagement targets. Compare that to mainstream social media.

Sure, you don’t get paid unless you are particularly popular… but you also don’t feel like your every move is scrutinised. You don’t feel like you’ll be penalised for posting something YOU WROTE twice, for not commenting enough, or for cashing out your earnings to pay for something (possibly dire) in the real world.

The bottom line? People don’t like being controlled. And every time I feel like I’m being told what to do, the passion to stay fades away. It’s not just about rules… it’s about the spirit of these platforms. Rules and systems that claim to foster “community” often feel like veiled dictatorships.

“Don’t share your Blurt handle here.”
“Don’t post on Hive if you’re not fully committed to the ecosystem.”
“You shouldn’t power down your earnings; that’s not what the platform is about.”

Why can’t people just be? Why can’t we allow writers, creators, and thinkers to express themselves freely, without the fear of being policed?

This is likely going to get me into hotter water than I already will be just by writing this, but I am of the opinion that these platforms claim to be different from mainstream social media, but in reality, the voting systems and hierarchies replicate the same dynamics. The only difference is the added burden of judgement and pressure. And frankly, it kills the spirit.

I came back to Steemit hoping for the freedom to write (and my son), to share, and to connect. But the reality is, the fundamentals haven’t changed. The structures are the same, even if they’ve been sugarcoated.

The way I see it… If we want platforms like these to thrive, we need to stop dictating. Stop creating rules that stifle creativity. Stop forcing people to play by arbitrary standards. The truth is, most people won’t join a platform where they feel controlled or burdened. And the endless crypto jargon doesn’t help either; it alienates newcomers before they even get a chance to dive in.

What I would like to see is a space where people could truly share without fear. Where a one-line post is just as valid as a 3000-word essay. Where your post doesn’t have to “contribute” to some greater community ideal to be appreciated, and the “outcome” of said post is left up to the people who see it and/or read it. Vote it, don’t vote it… share it, don’t share it… you know… like the rest of the ENTIRE social media world operates!

Not everything has to be groundbreaking. Sometimes people just want to express themselves, and that should be okay!!! Let people be. Let them create, engage, or not engage in ways that feel natural to them. Let the community evolve organically without judgement, rules, or pressure.

If that shift happens, I’d gladly invite other fellow Saffers to join. Until then, though, not so much – for the simple reason that I don’t want to invite people to a space that feels like a school classroom.

In closing and to be clear, I did not stop writing on Steemit because I wasn't "earning" enough. I stopped because I felt oppressed.

Do with that information what you will.

Perhaps I will write more, perhaps I won't.
Perhaps I will just share a pic of my garden or coffee when enthusiasm strikes...
Or, perhaps I will do nothing at all.
No matter to you... and it shouldn't ever be!

Cheers!