The Tokenized World: Relevant Content, Community Support... or Tag Soup?
As more and more "Tribes" ramp up on Steem-Engine and Communities/SMT's loom on some distant part of Steemit, Inc's horizon, I find myself looking at how people approach this brave new world.
Personally? I'm thinking to pick about 3-4 Tribes that feel interesting/relevant to me, and then putting my effort into those. Thing is, with the amount of time I have on my hands for social blogging these days... that's really about all I can reasonably hope to do. Besides, why would I be doing something I didn't care about?
Evidently, that makes me slightly "weird..."
Beach at the "Golden Hour"
"IT" Already Happened!
What is "it, you might be wondering?
"IT" was the first post I have seen so far that used all ten allowable tags to simply list 10 different tribes... and thereby completely omitting having a tag to reasonably — or remotely, even — help describe what the post is about.
Thurthfully, I figured it would only be a matter of time before we arrived at the point of such "tag soup" becoming a reality... with all these new projects... and I was right. Saw it coming, from miles away.
No, I'm really not so "gosh darned clever." I just have a pretty good grip on the psychology of "Humans Behaving Badly As Soon As There Is Money Involved."
And so, it was always utterly predictable that someone would stake their tokens from more than ten of their Steem-Engine airdrops, and subsequently use every single tag slot for a different tribe name, just so they could eek a few extra fractions of a cent out of the system.
Maybe I am just taking everything too seriously, but seeing this example of "Tag Soup" really did just make me want to slam hy head on my desk.
Bright and beautiful...
Being Idealistic... It Ain't Easy!
I guess I must be lacking certain parts of the basic building blocks of being human, because I just don't get this pervasive proclivity (many) people have for milking a system — a system that could really benefit them — for every drop it contains, usually with complete disregard for whether or not they are (A) destroying that system, (B) taking "right action" as people, and (C) helping to build something, rather than tearing that something down.
Alas, I am also enough of a realist to look at the world and recognize that it's typically the lowest common denominator that rules the day.
"But the system ALLOWS it!"
Well, then the system needs to be changed, because evidently people are utterly incapable of self-moderating. Maybe they need to code into the root system that you can have up top three tags for tribe names, and the remaining seven have to be descriptive of your content.
Of course, it's probably very unlikely that will happen. But being idealistic and all, I can but hope.
Thanks for reading!
(Another #creativecoin creative non-fiction post)
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Created at 190810 23:55 PDT
1071
For myself I still plan on sticking to the 5 tags, one of which, (usually the first), will always be justbecause. Just be cause no one can say they own that tag, that anything I post in that tag is always relevant to the tag. No one that I could see was using the tag prior to myself, so I feel safe using it.
After that is generally the descriptive/contest tag, and somewhere in the last three tags will be at least one, maybe two tribal tags. But I still use steemit for, well pretty much everything, so am not sure I can use more than five tags anyways.
I do think that #creativecoin tag will become one of my most used tags. I do agree way to much tag soup, but then again, it does not matter how much noise is made about curation, steem block chain attitude is almost all about what can I get out of steem today, and not the attitude of how can I help steem grow.
Sad but true @bashadow, far too many people (just my OPINION) see this are purely a giant cash dispenser, not as a social content platform where they have an opportunity to earn stake and build something in the long run.
I figure it's unlikely that I will use more than two tribe tags at a time, so the rest will help categorize my posts. And, after all, isn't that the POINT behind tags?
That is what I thought tags were for, to make it easy for people to find your content, now tags are just a bunch of I'm a member of this club so give me a vote.
Still enough of us do use steem block chain as a social place, and I do kind of see that growing, I am on the fence as to how communities are going to work, that is something that will just have to learn as they come on board. The tribal sites are enough to get used to for now. Still I like hogging tags and having fun with them even though I know not many are going to type a tag #alaskahasmountains in a search engine. (currently only one post with that tag). LoL. Fun tags, people need to lighten up on the money aspect and have more fun.
It could be the best photo, work of art, song, whatever. If I see the investing, sports, and gaming tag attached... that photographer, artist, or musician just lost a nice vote. If I see a great investing article and they used the 'creativecoin' tag, they just lost a nice vote.
The best way to lose my vote is to use the wrong tag, and that's too bad for them because my vote actually has some power behind it.
I really prefer to create content TO specific tribes I'm part of... I don't care for the whole "one size fits all" where someone hopes their out-of-focus photo of bellybutton lint will fit under sports, porn, investing, creativity, beer and a few other things... just because their sense of greed is much stronger than their... actual common sense.
Oh... wait... there is nothing "common" about sense. My bad.
Just throw some shit at the wall and see what sticks, right? I wonder if, eventually, when those folks notice they're not earning much, maybe they'll actually go have a look around? Maybe they'll see a few hundred posts all pointing fingers at them, and laughing? I doubt it though.
Too busy working on the next smorgasbord due to be released within two hours of the previous malarkey.
totally agree with you on that and that has been my practice as well. I know some are getting alt accounts to manage the tokens. I rather like keeping mine together. When their using the wrong tag(s) it becomes clear they are using them to game the system and I do a .. no vote for u dude.
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what are these 'Tribes' you are spoken of?
what have I missed?
A number of folks — many of whom had Discord groups — have been using the Steem-Engine exchange and token creation facility to create "sidechains" of Steemit with specific focuses. It seems to have more or less become a "people's version" of the "Communities" STINC promised over two years ago. Anyway, many of these "tribes" also have their own tokens and reward systems. Your posts can basically become a form of "double dipping," because you get rewards from Steemit proper, as well as in the form of the sidechain tokens.
I'd say the most prominent so far is PAL (Peace, Abundance, Liberty) which is an outgrowth of one of the oldest Discord channels, and part of the Minnow Support Project. But there are several others that are also worthwhile.
this is all news to me.
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Ahem... I hate to break it to you... 10 isn't even the limit of allowable tags, it is just what Steempeak set their own limit at. I am not sure if the blockchain actually sets a limit, but if there is a limit, it is REALLY large - see e.g. https://steemit.com/revolution/@netuoso/jfk-secret-societies-1510793787
But back to the actual point at hand, I totally agree with you that if there isn't at least one relevant, popular tag to the post e.g. #art or #photography or whatever is appropriate, than something is wrong. And using tribe tags that aren't relevant is actually straight up harmful and likely to get you muted from the tribe's front end and your rewards flagged away anyway... so... why do it :)
Many of the tribes monitor the use of their tags. Improper use will get you a downvote. Hopefully, that will help stop the spam tags. I always use one if not two tags to indicate what my content is about.
One problem I see is that may not always agree about what tags are appropriate. I post an Actifit report every day. Generally, I write a short poem about my activity for the day or share a thought on a photo I took while out walking, gardening, etc.
Actifit automatically adds the SPORT tag, I understand the theory that they are tracking steps, but my only connection to that tag is that I actually moved my body during the day! It is not a tag I would have chosen for my posts.