Steemit Through the Looking Glass: Why are we Here, and What are we Hoping For?

It has been some seven months and change since I found Steemit-- pretty much by accident-- and I find myself pausing for a moment to think about what I am doing here.

What are any of us doing here? And what's with all the complaining? That last bit really baffles me... sure, we all complain now and then, but you weren't promised riches for showing up here, you were only promised an opportunity.

What's "Good" and What's "Bad?"

On reading an assortment of comments on various posts-- many of them by relative newcomers-- I detected a subtext of slight disgust; of disappointment.

If I had to sum up the tone in a single phrase, it might read something like this: "I'm disappointed and angry because this is much harder than I thought, and it seems like others are doing so much better than I."

Then people complain some about the content that finds its way onto the "trending" page and debate whether it's any "good" and whether or not it "belongs" there.

I look at "trending" from time to time, and most of what's there would-- in my opinion-- qualify as "good." Maybe not genius level or outstanding, but certainly passable as "good." Occasionally, there are a few gems. Occasionally, there's some garbage, but then again-- who hasn't had an "off" day?

My point here being-- at least in part-- that "good" is pretty subjective, and that "not necessarily something I'm interested in" is NOT the same thing as "bad content." It's simply different.

Do I-- and other people-- create content that's (quality wise) competitive with what's on the trending page? Sure... does it piss me off that it's "theirs" being featured, and not "mine?"

No... not really. 

In the World of Superstars

So, I paused for a moment to consider some of my favorite YouTubers. 

Is the content being created by the likes of Jenna Marbles and JP Sears always "good?" Again, that's pretty subjective...I happen to like their content (and JP happens to be a friend of my wife's), but I'm sure they are not everyone's cup of tea. 

But that observation doesn't make them "bad," either.

But when we start looking back at Steemit-- which, of course, is a much younger gig than YouTube-- let us not forget that many of the people on our "featured" page put a lot of time and effort into getting their 5000 followers. 

Similarly, before we start rushing around, shouting "reward pool rape!" let's not overlook the fact that someone like Jenna makes $1000's per 8-minute YouTube clip because she has 16 million followers. And you you don't get that overnight, nor do you get it as a result of sitting around and whining about sour grapes.  Same tends to hold true for the "successful" people on Steemit.

Why do we begrudge those who are successful, what they have? Or let me ask a slightly different real-world question: Do the people who got to have Microsoft stock at bargain prices "suck" because YOU have to pay more for the stock, 30 years later?

Let's turn that on its head, for a moment... and ask a different question: 

If YOU... yes, YOU... had spent a year busting your butt on Steemit and developed a following of thousands, wouldn't you feel like you had "earned" those $100+ per post?  And wouldn't you find it a little weird that someone who got here two weeks ago was complaining that they weren't having the same results?

So What Are We Hoping For?

"Hope" is a LONG way from reality.

Take it from someone who's been playing the online content gig for a really long time... you don't get to just show up here, publish a couple of things, and think you should be getting $300 a post.

Nice try. Take a number. Have a seat.

Instead, let me remind you-- when you complain that your last post "only made $1.23"-- that you could be over on Farcebook making... oh, that's right, I forgot... NOTHING.

When you make that complaint-- after three weeks here-- let me remind you that I once spent four hours crafting a post during my early days here... and made, yep... $0.00 for my efforts.  As you can tell from these words, I didn't go "This is unfair!" and stop creating content. This is my 327th original post, created from scratch...

So let's be real here. On Steemit, we're part of the new "Attention Economy", and it's unlikely you'll get anything handed to you on a plate. Or that you can "buy your way" to popularity. Or "cheat" your way to it. And just like real life, certain people will have what other people see as an "unfair" advantage... they are smarter, more expert, prettier, more naked, more eloquent... whatever.

That's called LIFE, folks... so don't blame Steemit for it! Instead, put your energy into creating something better.

As for ME, what am I hoping for? I'm hoping Steemit can become my long term (as on 5+ years) online publishing home. I'm hoping we'll still be here, having these conversations in 2025, because those with a long term vision managed to have more influence than those who only cared about short term gains. I'm hoping my efforts here will have earned me a significant stake in the community. I'm hoping that by 2025, the price of Steem will have passed $20 US.

Most of all, I just hope this place will still be here, in spite of its quirks and flaws.

How about YOU? Why are YOU here? What are you hoping for, in choosing to be here? Do you have realistic expectations for your participation here? Where do you think the price of Steem will go? Do you think Steemit will be a viable venue, in the long run... given the lifespan of Reddit, Facebook and others? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!

(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 20170907 09:52 PDT