Freedom of Stake (Steem Power)

in busy •  6 years ago 

Recently I've had several conversations with people regarding how other people use their stake. Most of those conversations regarding flagging.

Since I tend to say: "Flagging is a good thing", people sometimes ask me questions about flags they think are unfair.

This is my explanation:

All flags (and votes) are simply an expression of the account's Steem Power and a right granted by holding the Steem Power.

New Steem is created each day and gets allocated based on voting, both upvotes and downvotes. The voting is weighted by the amount of Steem Power you hold. The more Steem Power you hold the more influence you have on allocating the rewards.

In the picture below I refer to Steem Power as Stake.

srake rewards.jpg

If you held 1% of the stake (you'd be a whale) you would have 1% influence on the reward pool

So, while we discuss why people should or should not flag, none of it really matters. I defend the right of the largest stakeholders to use their stake how they want. They can upvote themselves or downvote or do any stupid or smart thing they want with their stake.

In response, other stakeholders can respond by taking countermeasures. This would be expressed by upvoting a flagged post or downvoting (negating) an upvote.

Often I think their actions are counterproductive to growing the site or adding value to the Steem currency, but as the largest owners with the most to win or lose that is their right.

I still think flagging a good thing and if there were more flagging people would feel freer to use their influence and the over-reactions to flagging would be reduced.

I also acknowledge that a few large stakeholders can really mess it up, but again.. It is their right.

@whatsup

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@whatsup,
Flagging without having good influence (SP) just a waste! That's what I believe!

Cheers~

That's just because you are nicer than I am. :)

I agree for the most part. Stakeholders should upvote whatever they like including their own posts. With flagging, however, I'm kinda on the side that's against it...At least from a flag wars standpoint as it makes the community look childish in my opinion. But there are people here with large stakes who do it all the time. Asserting their influence is their right especially if they paid for...so long story short, to each his own. I'd just rather see that influence being used to upvote minnows to broaden the overall base of value. Meaning, I think the minnows will HODL and bring in their friends via proof of wallet value... again just my opinion

I guess the difference is:

How it works vs. how I wish it worked.

What I am describing is "How it works".

I hear you though, it does look childish, but mostly due to the overreactions and upset.

You're right

Yeah, flagging is a good thing. We've taken care of a lot of idiots trying to get money on complete shit, and posting crap that isn't there's.

But, it's also used for negative things. People flag people that they disagree with, or to influence how things go, flagging everyone that doesn't do whatever they think should be done, or flagging everyone commented or resteemed or whatever by someone they don't like.

When I got here, I didn't know we would essentially be playing a game for money.

When I got here, I didn't know we would essentially be playing a game for money.

..second that one, mate.

I'm curious to hear what you thought you were coming here for! If you don't mind saying... This goes to both of you.

To write and make 10-$15 a day if I could.
To see if my words were worth that much, in free market.

Then I saw people getting $50 a post for 5 random words spewed out, while my 2000 word essay (not Hemingway), objectively better quality than something like 'do you like peas? I do'

.... or a screenshot for $100, and then realized that this isn't a merit based system.
(never mind financial instruments like bid bots).

All my life, my work was based on merit, results. And I always excelled.

This is not even possible here, without playing politics (anti meritocratic)

I didn't understand the system. I do now.

I have always excelled as well and if you mean merit directly regarding writing you may be right...

But slowly in this mess I feel like the things that have helped my success before do pay off here as well.

Being direct, honest and blunt, trying to meet people where they are. Doing a good job without being petty or jealous. Helping others figure out how to be successful... Working hard and not quitting.

These attributes are what I have brought everywhere I have worked from being an Executive to when I was just starting out. I'm not the most successful person on the chain, but slowly it seems to be working... did I mention slowly.

I didn't know a single person when I got here, my start was beyond slow... Now I feel like when I do have something to say, people listen. I'm not rolling in the money, but even the money part is easier now. I don't know, just thinking out loud here.

  ·  6 years ago (edited)

Ok, Super clever marketing person - can I use you please? (in a nice way).

Incentives are good, and in the spirit of that, if your info helps me win something, I'll throw you some steem!

...as a marketing ad..

What would you promote as the top 5 selling points , that you would promote, for steem blochchain/ecossytem ?

(bullet points not explanations, btw,)

(not steemit, steem - but I think it's in one of the top 5 .

Any help appreciated...

Being direct, honest and blunt,

ah, here is the problem in regards to steemit...

...these very attributes are seen as qualities, in the world of the meritocratic. The world I've inhabited.
( I'm even known to possess some of those, myself! lol)

They do not marry up to the qualities in the stake based, systems where honesty is seen as offensive, direct is seen a offensive, and blunt is just downright off the table...

The qualities you need here, if you want to get ahead...is playing politics...
Being sycophantic is afar more productive strategy on steemit.
Bland and nondescript is rewarded, and putting out your truth is penalized.
....it can only ever create weak structures...
I know of no historical precedent that doesn't support this. It never endures.

IF this is a weak systemic problem in steemit, I fear an inevitable conclusion.
Weak, corrupt systems always eat their selves.
Always.

just thinking out loud here...

  ·  6 years ago (edited)

I agree it is a bad practice to downvote for disagreements.

My point is if the owners. (stakeholders) wan to create a shitty environment that is their
right.

Yeah...and they'll be holding down the price for all of us. :-/ Sucks.

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I agree in concept but I have yet to give a flag since starting because I don’t feel that my influence is significant enough for it to really matter. I typically just ignore it and get on my with my life; this even includes 2-3 times I have seen users literally copy/pasting my comments!

Posted using Partiko iOS

oh man, you have to police your comments that is a great place to start. :) Just start with accounts near your own size.

Your logic is correct. And also steems weakness.
Successful ecosystems work on merit (that'how they succeed), before decaying due to lack of merit and more politics and bureaucracy.

The question then becomes - for everyone wanting to see a successful steemit, ...do we want a stake based system that holds zero relationship to merit, (just wallet size ), or do we want a system allowing for merit to flourish not under the auspices of those less talented?

History would suggest that merit based systems endure far better then kakistocracies

https://steemit.com/blog/@lucylin/some-wednesday-s-meanderings

This is a great question.

we want a system allowing for merit to flourish not under the auspices of those less talented?

So, I wonder how we design an app for just this... Display only... a specific set of votes on merit....?? Ideas? How could code "understand" the difference.

Stoopid code, they can't even see a difference between Shakespeare and Clancy!
Computers are stupid.

Not as stoopid as me, though.

Thanks for the reminder. Going to Flag a post I totally disagree with!

This post has been included in the latest edition of SoS Daily News - a digest of all you need to know about the State of Steem.



To me flagging can only be use to check mate spammers in the platform , bit upvoting genuine and hardworking content creators in the community @whatsup

Did you read what I said? Flags can be used for any reason! :) Your assignment is to reread the post.

love the graphs. It really brings home how little it matters.

Thank you for this post!

In this way, I see Steem as nearly perfectly fair. We all have exactly the amount of Influence on the site as we own.

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Honestly, I have never Flagged anyone.The only person I would flag is someone spamming. But not someone I just disagree with