Why I Will Never Drop The Bid-Bot Issue
If Steem is a microcosm of society - as many believe - then what would happen if we were somehow able to beat the abusive whales back and seize some prosperity for those deserving in the community? Better yet, what would happen if we were able to unite with our abusers and reestablish a community spirit - an even stronger one than we once had - that would prevent us from taking such actions against one another again?
It is without a doubt an incredibly difficult thing for us to achieve. But, if we did it, how inspired would you feel? How much self-belief in regards to our ability to make changes on a massive scale would we draw from such a victory? Even those who are for vote-selling would learn on that day that together we can accomplish the seemingly impossible.
So while I do care a great deal about the content creators who remained loyal to this community only to get fucked over by it, and all those who are or will struggle to earn because they're unwilling to pay for their votes; they are only a small part of a much larger picture that I am attempting to paint. By overcoming this brazen attempt to keep us powerless within this ecosystem, we will find the motivation within ourselves, and we will deliver it to any who observe the victory, meaning saving Steemit could very well lead to saving this entire world.
We certainly have some brilliant minds here. It was almost as if this place was a magnet for forward thinkers and those of us hungry to make a difference. I suspect it was intended to draw those very people, and to corrupt us, for I have watched in my time here some people I considered admirable give in to this system and let it turn them into a persona.
I have tried to sell my account and all the content on it for what I consider a very reasonable price; and yet no one has purchased it. I can only presume that this is for a reason. Perhaps I am yet to work with the people on here who I do admire, and even those I once did but currently do not. Perhaps it is through the purging of the immoral practice of vote-selling that we will be united under a common realisation that we were here for a reason; to learn what we need to learn, and to fight the mindset we need to fight, in order to acquire the knowledge, determination and courage to take the fight to the real world.
Is Steemit nothing more than a place where the best of us get reeducated to be just like everyone else? Or is it the canvas that we have the opportunity to draw up a blue print for saving the world upon?
If Steemit is a microcosm of the world, then why not use that microcosm to experiment with ways of making change in the outside world. Why not try and save this tiny world, rather than giving up on it just as we did with the other one we came here to get away from. If we don't, we'll all be looking for a new home when we realise our inaction helped turn this place into an exact replica of the world we were told this was to be better than.
If life wants me here - which I can only assume it does after the amount of times I have tried to find another way only to be led back here - then I would sooner believe that my life is keeping me here for a reason. And perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that I have nothing to show for from my time here, because it means I have exactly nothing to lose. I was not afraid of flags when I was earning enough to live, so now they are closer to a badge of honour that informs me I'm on the right path than any sort of penalty. So I am in an excellent position to wage this war it would seem. And I intend to do so until I am successful or I am dead, because for me getting rid of bidbots is not the goal, but a means towards unifying the team that will be needed to aim for the only goal in this world I feel is worth living for.
So if any of you think that by using bidbots on my posts you will hurt my position and force me to shut up, or force people to stop listening, or if any of you think that eventually I will shut up about it when I realise no one is listening anymore, you are very fucking wrong. It is extremely rare for me to want anything I do not need, but when I do, I don't give up on it. No matter how many times I fail, for i am not afraid of failure. I'm only afraid of not trying.
Anyway, this was just a long way to say that I don't care if my talking about bidbots often is annoying any of you. No matter how much time I spend writing a post they all essentially make the same anyway, so from now on, I am going to write about bidbots every single day until I can write no more, or until I no longer need to.
If anyone else wants to join me in this war that seems impossible, but that will provide the most significant reward imaginable, then start using the tag #fuckbidbots, as this is one of the tags I will be utilising and the more of us that use it the better.
Instead of users gettin involved and getting their work known in the community, making friends and sometimes enemies, they just post and pay and ‘tada’ They are the best thing since sliced bread. Well not really but the bots think they are.
I’ve been trying to vote for witnesses that don’t use and don’t operate bots. That is how I have begun to fight back.
Keep on keepin on!!
That's another huge problem of mine with bidbots. There was always an advantage to playing the game and going around leaving comments everywhere, but one used to be able to earn simply by being a good content creator, because this was ultimately a content creation platform.
But now it is not, for one cannot earn from simply being a great content creator. You either have to assert yourself into a unspoken circle jerk or you pay for your votes. So this is no longer a content platform, it is a payment platform. You pay us some money, and we will pay you a little more but you have to wait a week for it. That's now the best way to get ahead here and so the content aspect of the platform, in my eyes, has been rendered entirely redundant. I suspect soon others will come to this realisation and the trending page on that day is going to be so embarrassing for us all.
I visit the trending page to look at the comments and read all the hypocritical statements and laugh my a$$ off. It’s pretty fun.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m by no means some fantastic writer, or content creature and nor do I expect to get rewarded as such. But when I spend a long time putting together a how-to article (installing monitors in headrests of my suv) and get pennies, then see this other stuff getting $1,000’s it really doesn’t make me want to work hard and put forth the time and effort. I believe the bots have created this type of environment.
The bidbots are ripping the heart from Steemit and from the creators who try really hard to make decent contributions. The gamblers buy a larger share from the rewards pool and the hard working contributors end up paying for it from their disappearing share of the pool.
The people doing it know that and flatly do not care, whales included.
C'mon, Boys, screw the system while it's still breathing!
Yeah, that's real incentive for a creator to work two full days to create and contribute for a seven cent return because Boopsie posted two travel photos and got the $800 instead.
How can that possibly be sustaining behavior for Steemit?
Well said, I ve been here for half a year now and been using bots for promotion, i just thought that was the way to go!
Since i´ve realized that it poses a problem for the ecosystem and stopped for a few posts then went back to bots :S
It is hard to get visibility without, but I shall not use them anymore, you have convinced me :)
I will even retag and use your tag if it helps slightly, or does that seem hypocritical since I´ve used bots prior to my laterst post? :S
Peace
If you are one who has come to the realisation that bidbots are hurting us, then it seems to me that it would not be hypocritical at all, but ideal. I only used bidbot for a day I believe it was before I figured out why they were here and could no longer from a moral stand point use them. But a long term bidbot user who has experienced the benefits of them but still turned away in light of the damage they do; I think that's an example more people ought to pay attention to.
So yes. Please do use the tag anytime you write about bidbots. My upvote is worthless but I will resteem any good ones I see on the tag, and I have a fair few followers as I've been here for some time.
You aren't fighting the battle alone. Check out the #nobidbot tag and you'll find more
I don't bother creating anymore.
You can see why via my blog, I don't have to hash it out here. Point is, Steemit is mirroring the real world.
Biggest pile of tokens wins. Biggest influence, largest vote.
When a scammer comes along and ganks the reward pool, there aren't many willing to stand up to them. They just turn around, copy the tricks, and get in on the gravy train.
It will drive Steemit right into the ground. The 13% retention rate isn't helping things either.
Funny fact, when I stopped posting actively on my blog, I had around 270 followers. After over a HALF YEAR of doing nothing, I now have 411 followers.
For what? Its got to be bots and other crap like that -- its the only explanation that makes sense.
in my case, it was hope that you'll write some day some Thing.
I do other things, they just aren't here. Not much writing lately though.
Steemit has a long way to go before I trust them again.
who are "them"?
The people who agree on a consensus of rules that ultimately ends up with scammers draining the reward pool.
There are many moving parts, and plenty of blame to go around. Which is why the best move is not to play -- or in this context -- not bother posting content, and stick to basic comments and upvoting.
If you have no food but your neighbor he has lots of food, five years worth of food even. He should have to share it with you right?
If you could magically press a button that would cause all bid bot operations to cease I think those large stakeholders might dump their steem to the marketplace.
This would cause the value of the SBD to plummet. Some of those bid bot operators that you very much don't like, they purchased their Steem power early on with their hard earned money.
Right now they are using it as they see fit, but you disagree with how they are using their property.
Your post is amazingly well written you have a way with words and the ability to influence people. However, I would strongly advise that you consider viewing this from the standpoint of property rights.
If Joe bid bot spends a million bucks to buy SBD should he be obliged to not use his steem in such a way where he can let it earn for him?
Most investors only invest in things to make a profit from it. Remove the profit incentive from the SBD and you'll run out of willing volunteers that prop up the value of said SBD.
What then, force rich folks to buy Steem for the good of the value of SBD? As they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.