New users on SteemIt have a huge problem: The value of their upvote is less than the rounding error. It takes the upvote of several new accounts to give 0.001 SP.
The best way around this problem is to buy Steem Power. It looks like people need about 50 steem power for their 100% upvote to be worth 0.01. That is about $125 right now. Users can power down and take the money out. There is a chance that Steem might increase; so it can be seen as an investment. There is also a chance it will fall to zero. The investment is 100% at risk.
Anyway, I decided to go the organic route and see if I can build up steem from scratch.
I decided to go the organic root and experimented with different strategies.
The only strategy that seems to work is for new accounts to schmooze up to large accounts.
To execute this strategy, one needs to follow some large accounts. One should study the account's wallet and upvoting behavior which is available on Steemd.
One should then write comments on new posts of the large accounts that assuage the egos of the large accounts.
Just a few upvotes from big accounts can put small accounts into the money.
About 95% of the cash in my account has come from just three upvotes.
Since there is such a large gap between rich and poor on SteemIt, the smart users have learned to play this schmoozing game.
Having finally figured out the winning strategy, my heart sank.
Schmoozing is against my character.
I should mention here that I live in Salt Lake City. Utah is pretty much run by the LDS Church. Outsiders, non-Mormons, are treated as second class citizens.
I am so used to being treated as a pariah that venturing outside that role makes me feel uncomfortable.
I value my personal integrity over steem.
Personally, I think that there are some big problems in this world. These problems can't be solved by playing up to people.
I think we need to directly confront the mistaken notions that we have built up through the years.
After trying to play the social networking game on SteemIt, all I can think about now is that would rather skulk about as a pariah with integrity than to play social media games for cash.
This three second sketch is of me skulking about.
