Good post, thanks. You have said what I did in several posts and comments, only you said it in much more detail and with much better context.
As a relatively new Minnow, it is so frustrating to spend hours researching, writing and formatting a post, only to see it disappear into the stream, with virtually no views, no votes, no resteems. Then I go on one of the feeds, see posts that look like they were wrtitten and posted in 5 minutes, with dozens / hundreds and upvotes, comments and $ made. I realize these people are essentially gamers, have bought into the game with $$$, and use bots and syndicates to make good money. In your opinion, is that the only realistic way to go? Will Steemit end up just being a Casino? Or is it already? Anyway, good post thanks.
A common misunderstanding new minnows have is to think this platform is just about producing good content. It is ALSO about building a social network so you need to make friends and connections where mutual support for your content can be fostered.
It is possible to be successful here by having a strong social network but with weak content. That is not neccessarily gaming the system (though more often than not it is). I personally try and work within the spirit of the intended design while being aware of the gaming aspect so I make sure I am not disadvantaged by those who are gaming it. It is a pragmatic approach that is kind of working OK. I'm still here after all :)
The best advice I could give you is to find or forge a community based on your interests and build some mutually supportive relationships. I am heavily involved in a couple of communities and it's where a lot of my support comes from. Going it alone here is very, VERY hard.
PS - I am not sure what the future for STEEM is. I don't think it will ever be a casino, but it might fail if it does not evolve. That is why I focus on authoring and community building - because they provide me with value now and that value can also potentially transcend this particular system and move on to the next one if it ever comes to it.
@buggedout - thank you for taking the time to make a thoughtful reply, appreciated. Will take your advice and try to join some communities with common interests and goals. Cheers!
Yes, the platform is flawed, which can be expected for such a new and incredible venture, however, I like your diplomatic wording..."potentially transcend and ...move on." Hope it does not come to that but it may. Hope we begin to see a more responsive team at the top. Blessings.
I'd just add to @buggedout's comments that all of us who are relatively new need to make some determinations with regards to effort vs. rewards. Towards the beginning of our time here might not be when we expend a lot of time and energy in posts, but rather, sufficient and adequate time. I'm not suggesting a lack of quality. I am saying that if you can create a quality post in an hour or so, as opposed to four, five or more, then those types of posts in the beginning may be more appropriate.
The problem is, and perhaps always will be, visibility. Those who have been around, have networked, have become part of a community, made friends, etc., will probably be the ones with the higher rewards regardless of what they actually contribute because they're solving the visibility problem at least in part by these associations they've created. I wish they would maintain quality, but other than choosing not to vote on their posts, or taking the extra step of flagging, there isn't a whole lot that can be done to change the behavior. In my mind, I can either choose to concentrate on what others are accomplishing and let it affect what I do, or I can concentrate on what I'm doing and how I can help others make it a better place.
May I suggest, among any other groups or communities you may decide to get involved with, that you check out the newbie resteem initiatives, ASAPers and @abh12345 curation and engagement leagues.
And if it's any consolation, the first couple months here, for me at least, were the hardest. Hopefully, you'll see some improvement, too.
@glenalbrethsen - Thank you for the comment, a lot to take in. As always, I will take good advice and focus on your suggestions. One of the things that is confusing me greatly is the multitude of support groups etc. Anyway seems I just need to be focused on what I am doing and try to contribute to communities. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Cheers!
There are definitely plenty of support groups. I haven't interacted with many of them myself, so don't know how to advise you there. Some are obviously going to be better fits than others. But discovering how you fit in here is part of the process that needs to occur, anyway, so I wish you well with that. :)