I just had a Berliner bun as a snack (super healthy) and on top were these little colored sprinkles, because there wasn't enough sugar in the bun, jam and icing.
Every time I see them it reminds me of mice.
When I was a kid we lived in a large and old farmhouse and my dad had converted one of the little buildings that was probably 4 square meters and an old tool shed, into a studio where he could paint. The building was falling apart and it was time to clean it up. Once we started to clean it up we noticed these tiny and brightly colored something all over the place and then realized what it was, mouse crap.
They had been feasting on my dad's acrylic paints for years.
Everything leaves a trail.
I was thinking about this a little the other day and wondering about all of the various interactions and transactions that the blockchain records and while it doesn't record everything, there are a lot of trails. When there are better tools and more experienced investigators, it is going to be amusing to see what kinds of connections will be made and while some are obvious, I think others might be surprises.
For example, considering I am relatively well-known around Steem, what would you think of me if you found out I had created a ring of alts that were upvoting each other to maximize rewards for Steem or the Tribe tokens? What if you discovered I was spinning articles and rehashing from other sources or using an automated article spinner? What if I was (mouse) shitposting on sockpuppets for reward? Would your impression of me change?
We have of course seen this behavior commonly on many accounts and it happens at the highest and lowest levels. The fact of humanity is that when there is value available, people treat it like an all-you-can-eat buffet and fill their plates. The difference is that the stomach can only hold so much food, greed knows no bounds.
Reputation is an interesting thing and while the technical mechanism is broken on Steem, reputation still matters when it comes to individual relationships and public perception.There are very few people I know on Steem who have consistently maintained their position and kept a good reputation intact. Very, very few.
It seems that the "pressure" of Steem or the "potential" of Steem tends to drive people to change their behavior and often it is a degradation from where they once were. Sometimes it is an improvement. Over the years I have seen many people breakdown, spit the dummy and through entitlement tantrums about the lack of reward or the downvotes that finally found them. It is a slippery slope and the more often one breaks, the more often one is likely to break in the future, especially if the first one or two gathered some attention and support. Attention seeking behavior doesn't care for positive or negative.
For some they take a "if you can't beat them, join them" approach and start to stray from their values as they feel they are falling behind others, or not maximizing themselves enough. The influence of competition and comparison makes people feel inadequate and the chance of overcompensation increases. Part of the justification might be, "well everyone is doing it" without recognizing that no, not everyone is.
Seek and you shall find.
Maybe it is much like the mouse crap in my dad's art room, you are what you eat where the color of the shit corresponds to the color of the paint eaten. Spend your time with scammers, perhaps you are more readily going to scam without feeling guilt or shame. What color paint have you eaten?
For me, I started off on Steem with no group, no friends, no background - just me and my content. Once I began learning and interacting, I ended up spending my time with curators and content creators, people who had large stake, people with small looking to grow, investors and developers. I was perhaps lucky in where I fed.
I am always disappointed when I discover scammy behavior from people who I think should know better. But, the blockchain remembers and one day all of these interactions could rise to the surface for all to see. Just think that if this place does become as successful and valuable as it could, how many people will be interested to dig around in the past to see what they can find.
The good, the bad and the ugly.
All available in immutable history.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
