Greetings Steemit,
One thing that is puzzling me, though, is how small the payouts seem to be for charitable efforts. It's not that they don't get a lot of votes, because they generally do. But the payouts tend to be small. Here are some examples:
- @steemitcharity is striving to add to our ability to support great causes. But the payouts are mediocre. They need more followers too, with only 65 right now.
- The #charity tag has a lot of projects, but most are resulting in pretty mediocre payouts. A few did really well, but if you look closely they weren't really charity so much as encouraging or folks looking for support so they could accomplish something. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just not really a "need".
- @sethlinson ran this series where his goal was only $500 to help with altruistic efforts. After several weeks, he's managed to bring in less than $30.
- Going through the charity feeds, one can find countless examples of this.
Part of the challenge, of course, is knowing that the funds are really going to a worthy cause, rather than lining the pockets of the author. Perhaps this is where our reputations count and the transparency we offer in follow-up will encourage future efforts.
OTOH, we all know that there are many popularity votes going out right now. Sometimes articles that are nothing more than copy and pastes from free blogs anyway, are getting several hundred dollars. Not to take anything away from them, but does it point to a deficiency in how folks upvote?
Steemit has an opportunity to make an impact on the world in many ways. Much of this is technological. But what about our charitable efforts? Should they not be at the forefront of our voting and subsequent payout prowess?
In many cases the beneficiaries of the votes have no access to the technologies we take for granted. Some just want to be assured that they'll be able to put food in their baby's belly. Others need medical treatment, shelter, clothing, etc.
What about SP? Personally, letting the author keep it for their efforts seems equitable to me. We pay each other for jokes, sports, helpful tips, etc., why not be grateful that someone has posted an opportunity to make real changes in the world and embrace them getting a little payout for trying to use Steemit to improve the lives of those less fortunate? It's a win/win/win.
So, Steemit, how can we do this better? What can have the largest impact?
I don't expect any payout from this article. Rather, I'm hoping to start a conversation. But I'm sure it'll get a little, so all liquid payout from this article will go to help relieve challenges on La Gonâve, Haiti, in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.
Steemin' on,
Another Joe
Logo courtesy of @oecp85
