Sometimes I wonder, "Should I sit back, turn away, be silent?"
I have been pretty outspoken on this platform of late, something that I never intended to be. I think it has cost me heavily and might have cost me my chance at having a 'successful' future at Steemit. I am unsure yet though as it kind of depends which way the pendulum swings. Generally, those that speak out against authority get consumed as the authority nearly always wins.
Every Steem I have on this platform I have earned on my posts or by trading and buying back in to Steem. I haven't earned it on memes, or competitions or shitposts (in my opinion). Nearly everything I have earned is on long-form posts and in the last few months, fiction stories. Even my photos come with way too much text. It has been a lot of work. A lot. I think that most of my content has some level of interest and value for at least some readers here. at least, that is what some of the readers have said.
Now, I wonder if I have killed my chances at that future. Have I stepped out into the path of a fast moving tram? How much damage have I done to my position in the eyes of those who supported me? How heavily am I judged for speaking my mind, talking about my observations and asking questions? No matter how ridiculous my views might be to some people, I don't think it invalidates the queries.
Once upon a time, I had a vision of perhaps living off Steem or at least, supplementing my current income a little. I run a single-person consultancy, it is difficult and the money isn't great. I figured that if I put in the really hard work necessary, I might have a chance. I wonder how much questioning the bidbots have hurt that chance?
I really enjoy writing, much more than I ever thought I would and I could see myself doing more of it, if that is possible. But, that does require support. Starving artist just isn't going to cut it to provide the food and care my daughter needs. So, do I speak my mind and do and say what is consistent with my perspectives or, do I bite my tongue, suck it up and play the game like many others.
Perhaps I should do every second post mentioning how great some whale is and spam my links to wherever and whoever will have them, maybe throw in liberal mentions of the large apps, draw pictures of witnesses. One good thing about Steem price being low? My vote (even with paid delegation) isn't large enough to get spammed links in my DMs by high earning accounts anymore. It is like they look at a voting list to see who they should DM. Knowing this place, that list probably exists.
But, I doubt that is going to help me now either, the damage might be done. At the end of the day, I don't really know who will be left standing and who will be willing to put their support behind me. The thing about having strong community support is that there are people back the outliers but, when it is stake based and the outliers are outspoken against some of the big stakes? Even if there are others that do agree with me, they are not likely to throw their weight behind.
Perhaps my fate is to live in some obscure corner of Steem writing volumes no one will ever read or perhaps it will be that I can get a little of what I have been working so hard for. I don't know. I hope that it is the latter, I hope that my long term view of steem will pay off for all of us but, my fate, like almost everyone else's here, hangs on the community, their decisions and their grace.
Although I am able to be swayed, I haven't found valid arguments to keep the bots as they are. I am sure there are better options to come but waiting for change slows change and not speaking up means to not be heard.
This is a community that first needs to listen to each other, discuss deeply, change appropriately and prove that a decentralized community can function healthily. Then, it should spread like wildfire so fast and with such intensity, the centralized systems cannot stop it, cannot repress it. At that point, it can say it has achieved its aims and the individual members within all played their part voluntarily, and it worked.
Taraz
[ a Steemit original ]
