Balancing The Greed Gene On Steemit

road2wisdom (63) · 7 years ago

Great information @stellabelle as I am reading this with the sun glaring on the screen I cant help but mention that I need to toughing up on these matters. Meaning I said something similar a week back and I started to get even more people spamming their links on my posts, some I asked nicely to remove and some did while others didn't even pay attention. The one that gets me the most is the " Hi great post check this out" Grrrr
I mean are they kidding us or themselves! #crackingthewhip

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4 votes

stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

yeah, i have to admit, it's getting pretty ugly. And something I really didn't notice before I left for vacation. What exactly happened?

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road2wisdom (63) · 7 years ago (edited)

I did a post about spamming posts and spamming me in the Steem Chat. Where I had to remain invisible because every time I would show up I would either get links to peoples posts, a follow for follow or some weird ad to join what seemed to be a pump and dump scam. For 2 days following what I wrote I had around 7 people spam their links and some of them think they can do it in a slick way, while others just posted with out any regards to reading the post. lol It's almost comical in a sense! One person even made the link size 20 font. I was nice about it If I saw they were new, I said listen please remove the link because its frowned upon here while the ones with higher rep scores and who have been here longer, I just said "is this a joke are you really spamming my post after what I just typed" Your post put things into perspective for me though because I have been wrestling with what to do with these members. #crackthewhip Any addition advice for me?
(I apologize if my reply seems messy I am on the boardwalk handing out flyers and the sun is really hot today) Trying to get some new members signed up.

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4 votes

stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

I think being firm is the best way. Just say, "stop it please."
If that doesn't work, just don't engage with those who spam you.

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road2wisdom (63) · 7 years ago (edited)

Thank you, That is what I have been doing because I don't like hurting people with down votes unless they plagiarize my work then its own! Off topic, its really tough getting people to sign up even with free pizza! I signed up 2 people so far. Maybe, if they take the flyer home and not throw it out- it will creep into their mind later on. If you need any flyers, pens, calendars, etc for free let me know my family owns a printing press and I get all of it for free. So don't hesitate to ask me for anything that can help out. :0) Have a great afternoon. I will stick it out another hour and update later on today.

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

OMG, yes! I will definitely need these things. Let's talk. Steemit chat?

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road2wisdom (63) · 7 years ago

Yes, can you chat at 6pm Est? or maybe before I can msg you here if I get back earlier I just got back home and I want to shower and I have to drop my son off at his friends and come back. Do you have the same name on steem chat?

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

yes I do.....any time is fine, it doesn't have to be today....

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Show 1 more reply

efrageek (56) · 7 years ago

I only ignore them...

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lexiconical (72) · 7 years ago

This junk started happening to me too. I'm liking your hashtag.

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gendale (51) · 7 years ago

I'm so relieved you feel this way.

Thanks for being a voice for positivity and long term thinking.

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jonuzi (6) · 7 years ago

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5 votes

ehujra (61) · 7 years ago

Very informative post but a bit leanghty

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george-topalov (58) · 7 years ago

I don't really know how people even believe these things will ever work. Same thing as people commenting withing the first minute of a post with "great post!" while clearly they haven't wven read it but just hoping they would be the first to pop up in the reply section and they can get a small reward for it. Comment sections here are meant to be for appretiation of the author, sharing ideas, engaging with the people not so much for self promotion. I don't like commenting on peoples posts just for the sake of it.. because they are whales or have high rating.. if you have nothing to say on the subject.. well no need to just write a bland comment.

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11 votes

stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

I think it's a maturity issue, and a misunderstanding that Steemit is not like other social sites. There seems to be zero deep understanding of why Steem was created. Education and learning seem absent. I do know how poverty works though, and there is that issue that affects people's thinking. It did me...

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rycharde (63) · 7 years ago

I think it is even simpler than that - the rules allow certain behaviour and therefore people behave that way! This includes comment-spamming and self-voting and voting-rings etc. It doesn't even matter if "being caught" as one can open a new account.

Steemit is a game and I think that promoting "good behaviour" must be encoded in the game rules - we just cannot expect it from most people.

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grr8-one (33) · 7 years ago

True.

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george-topalov (58) · 7 years ago

Well the fact that is different than other social medias is why I think people try with these desperate approaches. That greed you are talking about and the money involved in the platform just makes people spam around not understanding what the whole thing is about.

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teamsteem (74) · 7 years ago

Wow! You touched me so deeply with your post Stella! Thank you so much my friend! Sincerely!

Your post is packed full with good advice, dance video/viral video, contest, understanding the reason why Steem exist... are all fundamental stuff people need to think about. Definitely contests....

Oh also I don't think I ever read that quote from Dan so that's a new one for me and one very awesome one.

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papa-pepper (80) · 7 years ago

No kidding! What kind (and valid) comments about you. Plus, she even mentioned me.

And to think, I had resorted to head wounds to create content....

I say, "Be Giving, not Greedy!"

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calamus056 (58) · 7 years ago (edited)

Especially the rainbow color shitting unicorn was great! :p

No, but seriously this post was indeed very good. You can really feel the emotion in her writing. I normally hate reading, but this kept me interested. I also agree with probably most of her vision. We've all seen the beggars around here, it's weird that they don't understand why it's such a bad idea. You know how people react to beggars IRL so go figure...

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armonia (57) · 7 years ago

Very sure that you both make a great team to guide us.
Greetings from my heart

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alexvan (74) · 7 years ago

At the beginning of my steemit journey I stummbled upon you. I left you a comment where you answered. It was one of the first higher accounts answers I become. Almost 2 months later, I help minnows in distress to find their way, to lose the spammy comments. I do take time to write most of them a short guidline on steemit behaviour.

Also it is human nature to be greedy, so by not having to much SP(even I have some delegated blessing for my engagement) I do send randowhale votes for people that produce good content and get lost in the noise. This small incetives, feeds them and shows them appreciation, which will show them that if they keep the good track, someone notices them.

Thank you

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

This is good to learn. All of us have to keep learning and seeing new people. The early adopters can get lazy, for we got huge rewards. So, really we all have a struggle. This was good information to learn, and thanks for educating me on your work, which sounds very valuable to others. Thank you.

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alexvan (74) · 7 years ago

I have to thank, as you are a good example on how to 👍

Your struggle is real and you made. Everybody lacking motivation shall read your story and how hard it was for you, the steps you took. Massive motivation and knowledge 🏆🏋🏅

Maybe will meet on steemit and speak more. I have to see how I arrange it with my job.

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happyphoenix (66) · 7 years ago

I have followed you since July or Augt 2016, and I know when you absence from steemit for 1-2 months (correct me if I am wrong)

I still save your link...ha...ha..! (this is the time when I decide to follow you)
https://steemit.com/steemit/@stellabelle/how-i-achieved-the-1-reputation-ranking-on-steemit-and-how-you-can-improve-yours

Nice ! :)

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

ha ha! thanks for that. I appreciate your attention! It's getting more and more difficult to break through these days on Steemit.....one thing is for certain: there will always be social issues/problems with being human!

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sandzat (53) · 7 years ago

Hi!! Very very well said and that too so politely! I like that you're

Helping the newbies identify the mistake they may be driven to make
Advising them on how to go about it and
Reassuring them that this non-desperate way will work out for them in the end if they stay optimistic and work hard enough!

This is good and well put together stuff. Thanks for the reassurance considering that I'm also still a newbie albeit one more than a month old! Cheers! - @sandzat

5 votes

freakygeak (40) · 7 years ago

if I could resteam your comment I would as it totally sums up what I got from @stellabelle's message :)

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topdog (53) · 7 years ago

@stellabelle, I could see a part of your heart in this post. Something coming from the guts while sharing your path in steemit from those early days.

The earlier adaptors of steemit worked really hard and sincerely to support and build the platform and so know the pain and struggle first hand. There was this zeal to give and support each other in the earlier steemiand. The newer generation steemians appear to be inspired more from the $$$ in trending page than anything else and there is this notion that more followers means more upvotes means more payout. The influence or weightage that SP brings is lost on many newbies. So I see them commenting 'I upvoted and followed you, now you follow me' thingy, when those upvotes really do not contribute to anything.
In the last 55 days about 1 Lakh+ new accounts are added to the total of about 2.6Lakh total steemit account. That means 40% of steemit accounts have come into being in just last say 2 months. Perhaps when such a large number of new accounts come in, it is but natural that some number of them start spamming.
I had commented in another blog that many of the steemians are not bloggers or with any special skills, but are just "accidental bloggers" If not for steemit, they wouldn't even type a single letter on their computer to blog in any other platform. It is not hard to see why?. The payments of course is the single largest magnet that draws all the iron men in the society to the platform. But I guess that's just being human after all.
So I feel spamming will continue. While the present breed learn their lesson and correct themselves, another new entrant breed will start it again and cycle continues. That is the price to pay on a growing platform where 1000s are joining everyday.
Instead I suggest one just ignores such comments and pass on.
I simply ask such commentators with a single liner "Why?". I never get any reply. And with some I say."I don't follow you, please don't follow me" that sure throws them offguard. With some interesting profiles I reply "I will read your next 5 blogs and if it interests me, I shall follow you, else No. But in return you don't need to follow me"

stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

I see the world and society as a place where a great transformation is now possible. Think of a place where abundance not scarcity is the norm. How would that look? Is it possible? I think it is, but what it requires is a massive de-programming of the mind....I still feel that a better world is possible, and that is why I am here....still.

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efrageek (56) · 7 years ago

Well, i have to say that give is the best way to "earn" here. You Stella and aggroed ( and others) theach to me that, a it is my flag everywhere i go now, not only her in steemit.

Of course, i have a lot to learn, i have a long way to walk, all of we fight with that "selfish" gene...

stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

When we don't have enough even to sustain our basic needs, then I can understand why someone would want attention. The problem is that the easy method does not work on Steemit. It requires something else, that each person has to figure out. Hey, who controls the @provenezuela account?

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efrageek (56) · 7 years ago

I have the owner key and @jocra & @gabystories posting key

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

ah ok thank you! I didn't know for sure. Is it safe to say that this project has brought in the tons of Venezuelans? Before you all started this, how many Venezuelans were on Steemit? We really need to do an interview...let me know when you have time.

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efrageek (56) · 7 years ago (edited)

Well we did a report two weeks ago reviewing the data about it, in a nutshell, we launch the venezuelan tag from nearly zero in pays to 17,000$ and retovenezuela tag from zero to 4,000$ in pays aproximately... This only in one month of hard job, of course that @cervantes helping a lot with their curation projecto, but the venezuela tag was almost invisible one month ago.

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in2itiveart (69) · 7 years ago (edited)

as I posted last night in my blog, someone paid me .001 sbd so that I would look at their post. It felt like I had been what I call "johned" - like I needed to take a shower. I wrote them a scathing comment and posted about it on my blog to which I got a bunch of spam comments like "Awesome!" and some real people who helped me to see what was going on. One of the commenters - I went to all their blogs to check them out - was a plagiarist - I wrote her a long comment about @steemcleaners and plagiarism to which she replied that she was new and did not know any better and proceeded to repeat the same plagiarism today - so you are correct - it is some form of desparation which I too feel and fight every day. I try to just continue with "slow and steady wins the race". Way back when in 2016 @dragonslayer109 picked up one of my posts and reposted it and I was placed on the map from that - for which I am eternally grateful...and I still suffer from the desparation but I look at what steemit gives me and how I am doing fine and don't need what I don't receive - and then to combat it, I try to give more... but you are correct in that we are going to need to strategize as steemit grows - because this is the world - right now - a vast majority of people whoring themselves to get a few crumbs...

stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

omg, you're right:

a vast majority of people whoring themselves to get a few crumbs...

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aboutyourbiz (54) · 7 years ago

ok wait. So what you're saying is if I post a comment to your post saying something awesome like, "nice post, follow me" you're not going to follow me and make me rich? But wouldn't it help if I put @stellabelle in the comment? You want me to work? Dammit!

I haven't been around too long myself and this has already been driving me bananas. And what's with putting the name link (@stellabelle) in, it doesn't show up anywhere as far as I can tell.

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arrliinn (64) · 7 years ago

Hi @stellabelle! This is a wonderful eye opener. Greed is part of human nature and hence not surprisingly present here at steemit as well. You have made a very strong point which hopefully gets out there to everybody.
And oh, I love the contest ideas - they're genius! 😆
I must start making my dance video contest now. Lol.
I have seen your name around for the short time that i am here at steemit, but I it is my first time to read your posts. I am instantly a fan. Very raw and true. That's what make you. Following. 😉

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13 votes

teamphilippines (52) · 7 years ago (edited)

I've noticed this behavior getting worse and worse with time. I primarily focus just within my community but I see posts from people globally that luckily other people appear to be flagging.

I have not flagged anybody on this account, my reputation/steem power can't afford it, but I'm trying to leave friendly comments when i come across the sort of spam, at least within my own community to gently suggest better alternatives and suggest they stop such behavior.

It's fantastic to see well thought out posts like this, particularly on important issues that seem just be getting worse. Hopefully sooner rather than later we'll see this type of spam slow down, and maybe even cease, as people understand it is not helpful to anybody.

I have resteemed this post, which is something I don't typically do given you are not part of 'teamphilippines' and that is usually the content we like to resteem and support, but this was so important i wanted to make sure our entire community sees and reads it! Thank you once again!

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

I'm glad to know this issue is being noticed by many people, not just me. One thing Steem has taught me is to be vigilant and express our concerns in a way that many others can benefit from. If we are not vigilant in discussing these social issues, and creating bonds, support in solving the issues, Steemit as a platform will degrade into shit really fast. Thanks for resteeming this message. I think many people must confront their behavior, and figure out new ways of being. No one wants me to spend my energy on creating a shit list, but I will if that is what it comes down to.

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dwhntx (52) · 7 years ago (edited)

Really good information. I am finding good people on here and we keep running into each other on link minded good content. It does bug me though how much spam is floating around and even plagiarism. I keep decreasing the number of people I follow but I am creating a really good group of people to devote my attention to.

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

I noticed a real lack of interaction recently which is the main reason I wanted to write this post. Without vigilance, Steemit could turn into a spam heaven...

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dwhntx (52) · 7 years ago

I hope these people that are here to try and make easy money will fall to the wayside. Good people are here and it's just a matter of finding them which can take time to do.

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onetree (68) · 7 years ago

No matter how many articles we write about the spam, it will not stop. The best policy is simply to ignore it, some will learn, others not. Those who wish to rise above the spam, maybe try to write a quota of quality comments daily, perhaps a subtle way to show how it's done?

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preparedwombat (70) · 7 years ago

While I agree with you that follow for follow is not an effective long-term strategy, I'd argue that it also not an effective short-term strategy. Earlier today I stumbled onto a user who's been here since May. I don't remember the exact numbers, but he/she followed something like 1,500 accounts and had a similar number of followers. But only had built up only about 30 SP.

The effort that must have gone into so many spam comments could instead have gone into maybe a dozen quality posts and some cogent comments that likely would have garnered more SP than that.

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steemlit (55) · 7 years ago

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I'm new to SteemIt and I've noticed a lot of spam for desperate votes as well. I think for new SteemIt users, they should focus on a certain topic that they are passionate about, that way they can meet people with similar interests. For example, I enjoy photography and sports so 90% of my posts have been about that and all thought I've only been on steemit for a week, I can say a lot of my followers enjoy the same content. Anyways, great post. Cheers!

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teaandkisses (41) · 7 years ago

I use my best skill with my limited time here leaving thoughtful comments. I have become accustomed to reading certain creators regularly. This gives me familiarity with their writing, their lives, and the stories or content they create. That gives me the ability to comment on past content or writing they created that might be relevant to what their current post is. Creators like that, they like to be noticed and recognized.

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anthonyadavisii (70) · 7 years ago (edited)

Definately agree. Upvotes, follows and comments should happen organically through creating quality content that people like.

I believe I may have entertained a few of these type of requests (follow for follow) to my shame. I will say that I do make it a point to follow people back without being prompted but I never ask for them because it would feel so forced and unnatural.

Created a little image for the occasion when someone mentioned the upvote begging issue.

If you build it (quality content that is), they will come. (Upvotes, follows, resteems etc)

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ghulammujtaba (59) · 7 years ago

This is absolutely wrong, people use old SEO thing, spam here and expect that they will start earning quickly but let's be honest with ourselves, why we all minnows or red fish comment on other's people comment? The answer is just to get the attention of big fish, why they do that? To answer this, let me ask another question. Why whales or dolphins don't spend their time, read some minnows stuff and leave a comment there? (Not asking for their upvote). Not saying that all the whales/dolphins don't read minnow's posts, some of them do and some are just upvoting their own comments, taking all the money with them. So the answer to the second question is that big fish are too busy in making money for themselves that they really don't care about others. So one of the reasons for such spamming or F4F comments is the actions of rich people here.
Finding the root cause is very important before we come to any conclusion. Whales/Dolphins do have some responsibility on their shoulders to support minnows and I have noticed only a very few people who think about us. Again, support doesn't always mean to upvote a post, a comment from a big fish is also really a big thing for small fish but again, I would say that peeps here don't have time! You might disagree and that's your right, to me, this is the reaction for the action!

Ah, I could have written my own post!

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whatamidoing (69) · 7 years ago

Dude, I totally understand where you are coming from, I felt thse things before. I actually can't disagree with what you say, it's truth, but there are other truths. If you change your focus a bit, you will have a better time and see more love come your way.

Getting whales attention is no doubt motivation for commenting on their posts. Is it the only motivation? No way! There are a bunch of whales and dolphins who do great things for the community like ausbitbank, benjojo, acidyo Etc. and others who create quality writing like stellabelle, trafalgar, meesterboom (I could go on).

I don't really know if the majority of whales do much for the community but I see enough who do that I don't need to get depressed about the ones who don't. All the whales I mentioned above have upvoted or commented on my posts. And I still have some posts that go totally ignored.

It does kind of suck vying for the attention of the big fish, I agree. There are far too many minnows who work hard without much appreciation. And as soon kissing is kind of incentivized. I'd also say that whales are in a bubble sometimes where they have a kind of "American dream" mentality about steemit. "Work hard and persevere and you can be like me." Some can, some can't, and it's not always about quality and who deserves it. Competition always has losers, and no one wants to be a loser, I would go as far as saying no one deserves to be a loser.

On the other hand, it's not really hard to get a handful of whales attention if you are sincere and doing something positive. Also, isn't it nice that we are motivated to go out and read each other's posts and comment to gain a following? Even if many of us are motivated by money, this dynamic allows us to support others and evoke more community focused. It's not all ass kissing.

At times I get a little upset about the unfair payouts I see, or how insincere some initiatives seem or the unfair distribution of wealth, or I start to doubt everyone's intentions. These are problems and you are right for bringing them up. When I feel low about all the bad stuff I find myself trying to strategize about how to get out of this tiny fish situation and I begin to feel less excited about this community and less inspired to try my best. Then I try to shift my focus back to what I really care about, building relationships and community with likeminded people. Even if steemit crashes, I have made at least 3 or 4 potentially life long friends. I've found future collaborators, and for the first time people are reading my stuff (god knows how hard it was to get people to check out my pareon).

Did I spend 30 minutes writing this comment to get an extra follower or to get stellabelles attention? I don't think so. Maybe? Sometimes it's hard to tell. Who cares though, because I know I'm sincere in what I say.

If you want to chat some time and find ways to make the situation better and more sincere here, let me know.

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ghulammujtaba (59) · 7 years ago

See here!

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whatamidoing (69) · 7 years ago

"the greed gene" really comes down to framing (something which I have been writing more about recently). With a mindset of "lack" we are all capable of being pretty crappy, and with a mindset of abundance we are all pretty decent. It may be pretty hard to keep a mindset of abundance, especially when you you feel stuck I need a certain situation, or when you are scared to lose what you have. But when you can see the limitless possibilities and start to realize that what unfolds starts with you and your mindset, the knots start to untangle and you become more and more capable of seeing tangible abundance rather than just theoretical abundance. You find things sometimes just work out, and when they isn't there are always lessons to learn.

Just a little (hopefully insightful) rambling :-) Great post, hope they read it!

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progressivechef (76) · 7 years ago

Being a newcomer myself, I found that these types of comments really disturbs! I have never done it and will never do it for sure! I truly believe in hard work and consistence will make you succeed on this amazing platform!

I don't know if i am doing well or not, Maybe you can check my page and give me a feedback, but i've seen a great progression since I joined in mid-June!

I still remember when I saw a video of you in the beginning of my journey, you explained it clearly! Engagement is very important to build up true followers who will appreciate your post! I am actually checking all the posts of all the ones I am following twice a day + posting valuable contents only, and the results is coming slowly but surely!

Concerning the word Minnows I would define it as below:

'An apprentice who recently joined with the aim to be an expert soon.'

Cheers
@progressivechef

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arckrai (62) · 7 years ago

It is true that some people are just here to be greedy and to solely make money. I understand why that would be a captivating motive to join steem but just purely begging for upvotes doesn't help you learn nor excel here on steemit.

You have the opportunity here to meet some amazing people like yourself @stellabella assimilate some astounding experiences some people live. Help the community prosper then you will be rich with love and gratitude.

If anything spamming and asking for upvotes has a negative effect and if anything could end your career here if you have some highly influential people flag you or you will just get no exposure as no one will be interested in looking at your blogs.

Stay humble and work hard then it will all pay off in the end. Be yourself and post what you love to do and what you aspire to be.

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basicstoliving (58) · 7 years ago

Thank You for the words of wisdom. I have not been on Steemit long, I has been fun and I hope to do great things on this platform. There are lots of new homesteaders on this platform and I know of them or will get to know them as we grow together. Upvoted and resteemed!

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professorbromide (59) · 7 years ago

There are a lot of people jumping up and down screaming "LOOK AT ME!" They would probably be better off (we would all be better off) if they concentrated on making one friend and striking up an interesting conversation.

One of the cool things about the internet is that it allowed a tiny fringe group to form a community. Eventually those tiny fringe groups will become viable communities within Steemit and everyone will have a place to belong. The starting point is just two people who are on the same wavelength.

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

That's good insight. Two people on the same wavelength can create such an economic stable world. This is kind of revolutionary what occurred with me and @teamsteem.

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weetreebonsai (54) · 7 years ago

Sharing this for the followers to (I hope wake up) Build the community and forget about the money! I am following some awesome folks and I love what I am finding here in like minded people! Thank You @stellabelle for sharing!

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

thanks for reading.

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caspell (52) · 7 years ago (edited)

Es agradable leer publicaciones como éstas, más que agradable, te nutre. Es tan real lo que dices, la desesperación por la moneda es algo que veo en mi país Venezuela a diario, está tan vivo este fuego, que casi te quema aunque no poses tus manos frente a él. Muchos de mi país, buscan esta página como fuente de ingreso ya que poseen algún tipo de talento, otros sólo vienen motivados por la codicia y tienen un mal contenido. Digo, la clave del éxito en ésta red es la pasión con que hagas las cosas. Por otra parte, están las grandes amistades que puedes forjar en esta red, como me ha pasado en otras redes sociales. Siempre encontraremos personas que de alguno u otra forma, nos hagan estar agradecidos por haber entrado a la red.

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journeyoflife (67) · 7 years ago

It happens all the time and it's starting to happen more and more everyday , greed can never end unless you learn to help yourself first @stellabelle

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arekwolf (53) · 7 years ago

When I was a child, I was sort of self-interested. I always wanted the nicest sweets and cookies, but rarely were there any to be had where I lived. Today I still love cookies :-)

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elena2017 (56) · 7 years ago

I dont like that spam. You just post you story, and 200 followers read you""nice post"'. Can they read what you post? No.

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drago18121996 (68) · 7 years ago

I do not have anything to offer to the mankind except the power of my will.

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justdentist (62) · 7 years ago

Great post as always! Just watched a video of Simon Sinek ideas to change the way you live and give. Have you heard of him? "Always start with the WHY." Your post is delivering the same thinking in some way. Don't you think? Most of the people here are just trying to make a quick buck. Totally wrong approach as you said. Even if I'm just reading all the posts for a little than over a week it's really hard to find great content. But I must admit that Steemit as a network fascinates me and I hope the community will keep it up for a long time.
Have a great day! Best wishes from Germany :)

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empath (54) · 7 years ago

Being new here myself I am happy to see that there are those who do understand that the "cheap" methods to marketing one's self are actually counterproductive to this culture. I was raised with manners so being stern about it is not always easy. There have also been some flagging wars among friends that I have met and those who were offended by being asked to stop. The advice from a veteran member is worth the read.

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

Thank you. Notice how my post has no spammy comments?

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empath (54) · 7 years ago

You are right, and as time passes, i find myself consolidating an apporach to be as stern as my predecessors.

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teodora (64) · 7 years ago

The idea to write a post about follow to follow is great, but I dont think is people that do this will stop, mainly because most of them will miss the post. Some of the post should be able to pin them on the top as a guide is more of us believe they are useful :) I am not sure if is such a possibility. Meanwhile the way I act is just ignore and they will not comment again to my posts, or maybe is just my karma :D

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neiraurdaneta (59) · 7 years ago

My definition would be a dreamer who wants to change the rules and conventional culture of social networks through his blogs and be at some time recognized by the community and be rewarded for his work

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vm2904 (64) · 7 years ago

@stellabelle You are correct in pointing out that people who do find balance in life, including for the greed factor, are an asset to society - be it Steemit or real life. Desperation always leads to drastic action because the attention gets focused on the lowest rungs of Manslows pyramid. Values fall by the wayside in the battle for survival. In my particular case, I was never desperate for money but I did bother people in my haste to draw attention to my blogs. My passion for spreading messages about wildlife clouded my juḍgement of the correct engagement protocol on Steemit. To be honest, even now it does cloud my judegement sometimes. However, people do realise that I also put in a lot of effort in providing honest and good feedback - so I guess they forgive me, large hearted as the Steemians are. I, have personally experienced, in my short 35-40 days on Steemit so far, the value of points that you have made in your blogs. I do try to guide other newcomers about the same points. Thanks for this blog which I believe every newcomer, who comes to Steemit hoping to make money, should read. Upvoted.

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

It's necessary to make mistakes in order to truly learn. We all shout for attention and feel like ghosts when we don't get it. You've been here for a very short time. Look at how @timcliff conducted himself for a very long time, and he didn't become a witness, even when I thought he deserved it. He kept on without complaint. That was honorable.

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vm2904 (64) · 7 years ago

I do understand. I will keep up my work to write quality blogs and go through good posts to provide meaningful feedback to have great interaction. Thank you for your support as always.

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team101 (61) · 7 years ago (edited)

Important points that you addressed. When first joining Steemit it is natural to think surely I can write a post that most people will enjoy. That will bring the votes and in turn the money. You are so right in acknowledging being successful here on a regular basis is about building a base of friends with whom we interact. That takes time to develop unless there's already a following from other social media. Desperate feelings will crop up on occasion but the more we interact and are "real" while continuing to post articles the more we will become part of the community. And, then earnings will begin happening on a more regular basis.

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

yes, it's a tricky thing that few people are aware of when they first join.

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muhajirnyakcut (45) · 7 years ago

Nice post
My greetings to the world steemit

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sasha.shade (58) · 7 years ago

Great post @stellabelle . I run an initiative here in the country I live in, and we are having our 2nd 'steemfest' event on August 5. I am the first speaker and this is one of the big things that I've outlined to discuss in my talks.

I even had a conversation with someone last night where the 'greed gene' came into play and I called it as I saw it, it made the conversation go sour until we were able to come back and speak civilly again, but thankfully we were.

Glad you're posting about this sort of thing, keep up the awesome work!

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

thanks for reading....attention is becoming a scarce commodity!

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nphacker (60) · 7 years ago

Some of these types of comments are so bland like the one in your example, it sometimes makes me think that they're created by bots, actually no, bots may even be able to do better jobs LOL. I definitely agree that begging is not the answer and that other methods of incentivization are 1000% more effective.
Cheers!

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rtdcs (63) · 7 years ago

Very interesting my friend.

Upvoted.

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freakygeak (40) · 7 years ago

wow very insightful reading liked the plant trap at the start had to watch that for like five minutes :D lol resteeming in hopes to help others :)

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

thanks for the resteem.

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freedomnation (57) · 7 years ago

Steem expands the horizon of greed for some people. It becomes more artistic and more of a virtue than flaw. @stellabelle

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ronaldmcatee (52) · 7 years ago

I want to know more, do you know i am your follower @ronaldmcatee

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steemitboard (66) · 7 years ago

Congratulations @stellabelle! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :

Award for the number of upvotes
Award for the number of comments received

Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here

If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

By upvoting this notification, you can help all Steemit users. Learn how here!

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annhoyblog (55) · 7 years ago

A minnow is a member of Steemit who has a small amount of power or influence in the steem pool in relation to other members.

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charlesx (64) · 7 years ago

This is a very much needed post on Steemit! I have been a member of Steemit for less than a week, and I am trying my best to make useful posts and share my views and the informations I get(mostly in the cryptocurrency world). I saw some people just asking to follow and upvote, others at least ask it after writing a comment of appreciation for what I wrote(a true one).

I had a guy spamming one of my posts to advertise another app, asked him to edit the comment and luckily he did.

I upvoted this post and I upvoted another guy who said how he made his first 100+ $ post, and the main secret is QUALITY!

Not spam, not asking or begging for things, share quality posts like this one and let people see that what you think and do is the best for the community, a strong community means a strong website and a growing one!
Thanks for this post, it is really needed.

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krazykrista (65) · 7 years ago (edited)

This is a great post. As an itty bitty minnow I have already witnessed the "me me me" mentality a lot on steemit and in general chat.
I love the steemit community and am glad to be a part of it. I am going to keep researching and reading up on the do's and dont's so I can not be a drain on the the platform, I'd always rather be a part of the fountain.

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midgetspinner (48) · 7 years ago

greed is tasty ;)

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keshawn (55) · 7 years ago

yeah right, well in my case i experiencing this kind of attitude lately, because i really want to earn much, i've been blind to all the thousands of dollar i've seen in some content, but in the long run i realize the why do i have to please people to upvote my post if they like your post they will probably upvote it without your consent. you're a very good mentor @stellabelle specially to newbie like me.

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keshawn (55) · 7 years ago

this post was so right, pleasing upvote is like a beggar asking for a bit of coins. BIG THANKS for this madam. Patience is not about waiting, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.

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thesimplelife (49) · 7 years ago

Thank you for writing this post. I am fairly new here and I've been plagued by this. While taking part in the Community Engagement Challenge, I was searching for new content and to strike up quality conversations with others. I'm starting a conversation with one user, the response I got back was "an upvote would be nice". I was floored that someone would so boldly ask for such a thing. I appreciate you putting these thoughts into the minds of the readers here. I want followers only because I earn them, and I want to follow people for the same reason.

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eco-alex (73) · 7 years ago

you are a truly beautiful soul with great compassion..
sometimes we are tested!
clearly we are both tested today
<3
wonderful post

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joanaltres (56) · 7 years ago

I hope the spammers will read this post and realize there is a better way to achieve what they want for themselves. Being less self-centered can only lead to more success over time. It's already been proven here, so why not make the change?

Upvoted and resteemed.

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

we don't know the back story, and i am thinking maybe some are even children....

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iamnotageek (60) · 7 years ago

Absolutely brilliant brilliant post!!!

Upvoted!!!

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donniedeluxe (49) · 7 years ago

Hi stella, I recently saw your post on reddit when looking through posts about steemit - you said "look me up on 'stellabelle'". Your post was roughly 12 months old, would be really interesting to hear how your last year has been and your experience on steemit.

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rschenk (45) · 7 years ago

You always have such great advice for newcomers, stellabelle! There seems to be a lot of unspoken rules within the community, so I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences and knowledge of how the platform works and how to find success with engaging and thoughtful content.

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joedirt (47) · 7 years ago

Great Post (this is N0#2) ... but please - that giffy is scarry! No zombies with scary eyeballs! (Ever) ;)

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errymil (64) · 7 years ago (edited)

Thank you so much @stellabelle for putting this out, i used to do this when i was knew i had to admit but now i see it everywhere, and its really irritating, i have been on steemit for 2 months now, and i learned a lot that could be applied to life, mostly by being sincere and true to yourself, i remember the last time i made that mistake was with HF19 and saw your post and i was just asking for a blessing, but all has changed now, i believe eventually all the new members will understand it.

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tankoshakun (41) · 7 years ago

I think you made a great input there.Not only is it great but the truth and a hard one to be precise.People wants to make great sums of money within the shortest pssible time which does not work like that not in any place or any time .we should learn to have patience and climb our way to the top gradually. i know ,it will take time but it surely works.we should also learn to have nice and fun time and just be your self and the reward part shall be a bonus.
my mind though

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yaan (59) · 7 years ago (edited)

Hard not to agree with you. It won't hurt anyone if they will concentrate on their own content and build bonds with other creators instead of spamming people with annoying messages. So they will feel as a part of the community and it will be an opportunity to contribute with their own resources to benefit themselves and the entire platform.

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ch00fy (60) · 7 years ago

Excellent post. It's been very enjoyable educating others around me about steemit and the responses have been positive. But as you mention people must know there long term goals and not be greedy 👍

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markwhittam (66) · 7 years ago

Great post, steemit is not a place to earn a quick buck, you have to build it, I have been here 3 months and never taken 1 penny out.
Building friendships is the way to build capital here.
But there is one thing I can't resist begging for and that's unicorn rainbow poop ice cream.
Please Please Please Please can I have one :)
Great post @stellabelle

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byronviljoen (58) · 7 years ago

There are so many bloody bots on steemit at the moment, not even 2 seconds after i make a post i am bombarded by fake comments asking for me to follow them and upvote....

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mammasitta (70) · 7 years ago (edited)

I have seen so much of madness in all variations but I am still here, observing more/less quietly since June2016 and rarely read those kind of "same" and similar posts about selfvoting and Steem Steem Steem "celebrity spam" left and right.
Please don't get me wrong. You know that I respect you highly. You are an excellent writer and really mean well for the community but I also saw you quite angry at the platform. We go through our different phases here but there is one place of acceptance "let them do as they wish". Don't you think they will learn their own lessons?
I choose to ignore or take my time to explain kindly one by one. I don't feel the need to flag anybody nor do I want to cash in, just to expose those "sad", ridicolous, unfit members we find in any kind of community. I prefer somebody else does the flagging. Maybe they just don't know how to behave and act in such unfamiliar environment to get "free" mooney.
Yeah indeed, those greed genes can be found everywhere.
"Aliens" of society! Poor them if they can only survive "prostituting" themselves. Beggars, cheaters, winers?
Why give them even attention @stellabelle ?

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

Because it was getting on my nerves and I felt that no one was talking about it.

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mammasitta (70) · 7 years ago

[edit] The Dynamic on Steemit is the worse ever!

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crypto-kfx (48) · 7 years ago

Nice post! Had to re-read a few things, but brought up some valid points!

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empatosa (25) · 7 years ago

Nice information for all members who don't know what they need to do .

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https://steemit.com/steemit/@me-tarzan/rewards-pool-i-have-charted-the-waters-for-you-july-26-2017

lexiconical (72) · 7 years ago

@stellabelle

@me-tarzan does awesome work tracking the rewards pool. He posts one every day. Check them out. You'll know exactly what's going on with the pool in under 30 seconds:

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

thank you

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rockchickjen (58) · 7 years ago

This is such a great post and one of the best info posts I've seen in a while! I hate when people beg for votes and post their blogs in a comment of your blog. Without even reading yours. It unfortunately happens on all social sites as well... Facebook Steemit pages, steemit.chat, just every where. I also feel that most just dump links there without scanning the others posts... I try not to be like those people. I actually set aside time to look at new posts and people I haven't followed yet on those platforms. And I hope that others do the same, but the reality is... Most don't. It's unfortunate but hopefully posts like this will help people realize that it isn't going to work. Thanks @stellabelle!

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syrianmaher (44) · 7 years ago

You can create your own market on Steem. Some people here made their names like a trademark and they are marketing it; others are marketing spam only.

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rawpride (62) · 7 years ago

I've noticed an increase in spam comments on my posts as of late. Comments that clearly didn't even relate to my post at all. I had someone talk about photos of me, and I've never posted photos of myself in any of my posts.

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melbookermusic (65) · 7 years ago

Great great post. I am a newbie, and all of this is new to me. I do understand however, that great content, what you contribute to this community is key. Thanks again.

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gulshannsaini (53) · 7 years ago

I totally get it... Even I was new 1 month before most of people asked to upvote and follow them... I don't know why they don't understand people will check it when they get time and it may take time but not spamming like that as shown in one of picture that I upvoted follow and comments too .. haha that sounds funny.. I mean yes I texted some people in my starting on steemit.. but I never asked them directly to upvote. We have to connect everyone and this relationship between comes with time... we can't just buy their votes..

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zararina (65) · 7 years ago (edited)

Nice, right that you are lucky to have a whale friend, more if they are school of whales. :D

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dianadee (67) · 7 years ago

Good post with relevant points to ponder..thank you!

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redrica (67) · 7 years ago

I have to say that I am really glad I came upon this post. I am still really new to Steemit, but I am seeing a lot of posts flooded with the spam comments you mention. I can understand why people do that, but I agree with you that it's not sustainable.

I recently commented on someone's introduce yourself post, as I really related to something he said in his post, and he commented back saying thanks for actually reading my post completely. That says a lot, doesn't it?

I know I still have a lot to learn around here, but my main purpose is to express myself and hopefully connect with others along the way. And I'm really excited about the prospect of that :)

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samminator (75) · 7 years ago

One of the things I’ve always believed in life is; “Hurt me with the truth rather than comfort me with a lie”. You’re so magnanimous with the truth. And there’s something I’ve noticed in life; there’s always a struggle for the survival of the fittest, and this has beclouded the senses of judgment of many.
This post will serve two purposes for me: For Precaution and For Correction. I couldn’t have been more inspired

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stellabelle (75) · 7 years ago

Glad to hear it. I feel better when I am writing on Steemit than I do on vacation. I feel like I lost myself.

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