Hi Everyone!
I woke up this morning like any other and went straight to Steemit so see what was going on in my new favorite place to be while I slept.
For the first time ever on Steemit, my blood pressure jumped to a dangerous level and I saw red.
Yes, I can get mad. It doesn't happen very often but when it does it's a bit of a scary thing.
As most of you know if you have read any of my posts you know how much I'm indebted to @mariannewest for starting her Freewriters group.
This group and the rules therein has opened a world I have had buried so deep inside myself that I never thought it would see the light of day again.
The main rule in her Freewriters group was that there weren't any rules. The main objective was just to get you starting to write. Freely, without thinking about proper anything. Just get your thoughts down on paper using a prompt for that day.
It was a hard lesson to learn to just write and not worry about what you were really saying. To be totally free in letting your thoughts flow on the page is much harder then one would think.
Through the wonderful community that arose from this group and the support I got just for trying made me come back every day and give it another go. Something every day I am thankful for.
I always have to go back and fix my mistakes as I am not a typer, speller or writer by trade.
With the gift of freedom given to me in this group that @mariannewest was smart enough not to put a price tag on, I slowly am finding the confidence to write every day my thoughts and feeling in my posts.
If not for the Freewriters group I really don't know if I would have made it 100 days on Steemit. Would not have met the wonderful people I have. Would not have been comfortable just writing my thoughts out for all the world to see.
So what got me seeing red today? A person that didn't do their research on the group but felt compelled to tell @mariannewest that we were doing it all wrong.
I feel everyone is always entitled to their opinion BUT if you are going to go so far as to tell someone they are doing something wrong, that what they are doing has no real meaning then you should make damn sure you have done your homework. Something this person obviously did not.
I find it funny? when a group gets's larger and people that don't know the history proceed to find fault with it all.
If they had taken 5 more minutes to read at least 2 posts, they would have found amazing things but they didn't.
Their whole thought wasn't to help but to rip apart a good thing. To make people, like me, afraid to belong to a wonderful thing that has always been full of love, support, and new friendships and best of all some of the greatest writings I have ever read! and I have read more than most. I use to average 10 books a week from all different genres.
So someone sighting that what the Freewriters were adding was crap to the permanent Blockchain and was low-grade work that shouldn't be allowed to was the straw that set me OFF!
Steemit is free for anyone to use. It IS to be a place for freedom of speech and ideas.
This person had a right to express their feelings, with this I agree. What I don't agree with is them not doing their research before making a comment that goes against everything the Freewrite group represents.
And now I will stop and let this go but I felt my thoughts needed to be expressed.
I DO want to thank @valorforfreedom for letting me vent to him on his page...........(sorry I know you don't like being tagged)
Thank You, everyone, once again, for being as kind as you are to me.
Sorry for this rant but it had to get out because it's been hours now and I am still upset.
My advice to anyone on Steemit is to research ALL of something if you feel something is wrong that you come across.
Much Love,
Snook
And above all, I believe it is a place to have fun. And be yourself.
If I can't be myself and post what I want, then what's the point?
And should I be judged - and other freewriters out there - by the work I posted here on Steemit... Well, if that's what I can do in 5 minutes... for free... Shouldn't you be damn certain I'll work my ass off for something I'm trying to sell you and is not time sensitive?
I'm a human being. I make mistakes. I act a fool. I goof around. I have fun. But when things require me to get serious, I get serious.
If you are concerned someone will scout through your Steem profile and find proof you are an actual human being with feelings and faults... Pouring out your heart and soul in comments and posts... Then perhaps, just maybe, you should hide behind an alias and use a stock internet photo as your profile picture.
As always, to each their own.
Just remember, what appears most perfect at first sight, is deep down most corrupt.
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I so agree. Or, if they want to control the content of a site - plank down the money and get your own website. It is like telling people that they have to sit in a certain section of the bus - or can't ride it at all...
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I'm sure they mean well and to help... and raise a question of if we want these things to be stuck on the blockchain forever...
And I believe we all have the right to put whatever we want on the blockchain.
Just as people can choose to get whatever tattoo they want and have it stuck on them forever.
Just as people can choose what to eat and drink and ... The list goes on.
The beauty of the platform being decentralised is the freedom of choice. Freedom to do whatever the hell you wish. If people like it, they'll upvote, comment and resteem. If people dislike it, they're free to move on, or in the worst case there's the flag option.
It's that simple.
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Agreed!
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I hope someone told that person to go kick rocks!
Look for the positive people. :)
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We are. I think her article has just confirmed how much we all care for each other!
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You can be one of those people! (right now they're in a bit of an echo chamber. A thoughtful voice expressing a different opinion might be nice)
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That's awful! I haven't seen the offending post yet, but I am angered! Come at me, bro!
.
...
Looking around, did you mean @bex-dk? I'm not quite as angered as I am filled with eye-rolling. I think people overestimate how important hiding your growth process is. If your use of the blockchain involves a bunch of silly word vomit, and some potential reader of your edited work comes across it, will the likelihood that they'll walk away from you outweigh the likelihood that some people might be attracted to seeing that mess? Eye-roll at even worrying about that. Shame plays far too great a role in art, IMHO.
And furthermore. Clearly people are enjoying the freewrites, and that's the reason they exist. I also don't think you can possibly be making yourself a worse writer by writing more. Maybe you're not improving AS QUICKLY as if you edited more, but, well, anyways.
Enough vented. She can keep on keepin' on, but eyeroll at her belief that we're somehow doing something WRONG.
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I agree on the eye roll - but also am concerned that some of the less experienced writers might take it to heart. It is always sad when people want to be the judge of everything and everyone else...
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I wrote some more about it... Was thinking of making a big ol' post addressing it, and then was thinking this person is setting herself up as a gatekeeper, and arbiter of what true writing must be, and am not sure if I want to give it that kind of attention. I linked to some of my thoughts on your post.
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Agreed. Best not to give people like that too much attention. that feeds them. I think we have seen this community is sticking together. The only thing which upsets me about the whole thing is that snook got so upset!!
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Don't mess with our snook!
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Oh, I'm getting into it on that thread. It's too hard not to! Especially when others set themselves up as...
I just... ugh.
I don't get it. Do they not realize that they're attacking a group of people? Do they not care? Do they think that they're being helpful? How and why? Do they think their heroes would be proud of them for telling people that they're doing writing wrong?!?
What is the motivation?
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Being tagged is no problem outside of my comment section.
I just wish we would get notifications for such mentions.
I just went through my last mentions and I got over 20 mentions by real users in the last 2 weeks.
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I try to use the steemit more extension but I'm finding it more and more problematic. :(
I was told the man who made it has not updated it in a while. I wish he would!
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Yes, the blog history takes a while to load, sometimes the votes, mentions, blog history and value of upvotes are not displayed at all.
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I'll have to ask my friend if he knows any more......I was thinking it was just me and my computer.
Have a great day!
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THAT I SO agree with!!! and I will keep that in mind :D
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In NZ we have a "Tall Poppy Syndrome".
As soon as you are daring to stick your head above the crowd some illegitimate person comes along to knock your head off.
Rejoice, it means that you are rising above the mass that can't do a 5 min story, hence the swipe at your head.
Steem on regardless,
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Snook, I love you! And I agree with you@improv @svashta and @doctorcrypto
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Lot's of love to you!
Steem is what we make of it! Keep doing you ;p
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Yeeha!
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I'm sorry you found a troll while walking across your bridge of happiness.
Just be sure not to feed them! You are right that people just want to go around with a needle and pop bubbles. I have seen it here and there on Steemit.
I like the community and social aspect of Steemit, and I think that when people think about getting paid, the feel as if everything you do should be worth apparent value, and overlook the joy that the communication between members gives us.
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And who is the judge of what is of value? many writers we think are the greatest now were considered awful during their lifetime. Andy Warhol was mocked when he first started to paint soup cans..... it is all in the eyes of the beholder.
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Exactly! The only reason there are rules of writing, is because some people made up the rules, and forced others to follow them!
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