So if you’re a fellow minnow within Steemit and you use the platform fairly frequently you’re likely to have come across the issue of not having enough bandwidth and you are asked to “power up or try again later”. This bandwidth issue is in reference to the amount of bandwidth that is delegated to your account, which can fluctuate based on SP and the current status of the network. It is often the case that during busy periods, bandwidth allocation is decreased substantially.
It is important to realize that all Steemit activity such as comments, likes, following and posting use up bandwidth. This system is in place to counteract people abusing the system and spamming the network, but unfortunately it impacts a lot of genuine users starting out.
First of all, you can use the Steemd.com website to track your own bandwidth if you don’t already do so. This can help you gauge how much activity you may be allowed before you hit zero, or when it is likely the bandwidth may be back by.
If you are under the category of having no bandwidth left, then you either have two options, as the message Steemit provides explains: buy SP or wait. The first solution is based upon the whole Proof of Stake concept, in which if you hold a large stake of Steem Power, then you rightly deserve more bandwidth to get the optimal user experience. Someone with a large amount of SP has a vested interest within Steemit and it would therefore be counter-intuitive for them to spam the network they want to promote. The second solution however, is the one that I would recommend for most people and in the next section I shall explain why.
Although it isn’t pretty, and it certainly isn’t fun, waiting for your bandwidth to replenish naturally is probably the best course of action for the average user. Why? Because it can stimulate your further growth.
I’m speaking from personal experience, the irony is that my bandwidth is currently at around -120% as of writing this. Instead of constantly refreshing Steemd.com every 5 minutes and getting increasingly frustrated, hypothesising as to when it may or may not be back up and running, I feel like it’s best to just wait.
Due to the interactive elements of Steemit currently unavailable to me, I see this as a perfect opportunity to take some time out to write more content for my blog. In many ways it can be seen as a positive, forcing me to stop procrastinating and actually focus on my own work and what I can provide this platform. So with that in mind, I have been unable to access Steemit all day, but have written two articles so far and will continue to write more, until my bandwidth is back.
Just some food for thought for you guys. Next time your bandwidth gets used up, use that time to create some content for when you’re back up and running!
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