"STEEMICIDE" - We've all seen it happen. Maybe we've even thought about it.
A blogger is heading along their merry way in the sea of steemit when suddenly, they kill themselves!
Most of the time, we just get to sit back and wonder...
I have seen multiple users commit blogging suicide on steemit and I'd like to share a few of the methods that they have used, so you can avoid them if you want.
When I use the term "steemicide" I mean that the user has chosen to engage in activity that effectually ends their blogging career on steemit, at least with that username.
DRINKING LETHAL PERSPECTIVES
This seems to be the root of much negative activity on steemit. A new user shows up, often after hearing amazing success stories about someone on steemit, and they expect to get huge payouts from the minute they hit "post." From their point of view, if it happened to someone else, it had better happen to them.
The "entitlement" mentality that plagues our modern societies is what I believe fuels this problem. People want to get paid just for existing...
- I was born - pay me
- I had a kid - pay me
- I'm hungry - pay me
- I'm poor - pay me
- I need a phone - pay me
- I want to go to college - pay me
- I can't get a job - pay me
- I don't want to get a job - pay me
When we exist in societies that breed this type of mentality, how can we not expect it to overflow into steemit?
In "real life" people with this mentality look to the government to pay them and take care of them. After all, those in the government are the ones in charge, right? On steemit, these people look to the whales to pay them, after all, they, in essence, hold the money book, right?
When others are getting paid, they feel left out, because they are not. Just like in real life, envy sets in. People no longer want to have to work for a few decades and then be able to buy a nice house and have some pleasant things. Those "decades of work" in "the real world" can be compared to the time invested in steemit. Many who are doing quite well here now did not start off that way. I've seen posts documenting it. (If you know what I'm talking about, please link the post in the replies below.) Often, there was a lot of "trial and error" work that went into becoming successful. All the time spend blogging, interacting, and building a following means nothing to the entitles newcomer.
"I want what you have and I want it now -pay me!"
When one comes into steemit with that kind of mentality, it can end the life of that user on steemit because everything that they see going on around them will be filtered through that lethal perspective.
KICKING A HORNETS NEST
This is very common with some users, but once it is allowed to dominate their blog and their comments, usually the end is not too far away. Basically, though we are all minnows, dolphins, and whales swimming around in the sea of steemit, we could also be likened to a nice, pleasant hive of hornets, just enjoying themselves and doing their thing. Once someone starts to kick the nest though, things can get nasty and people can get stung.
Some of the most frequent ways to "kick the hornets nest" are:
- "This is a scam"
- "This isn't fair"
- "This is a scam"
- "You're cheating"
- "This is a scam"
- "This is a scam"
- "This is a scam"
Of course it is alright to have concerns, and to ask questions, but when the only someone ever says is the same negative mantra over and over again in every post, it'll lead to their destruction.
Basically, if someone is committing this form of steemicide, a whole lot of negativity is thrown around in every direction, which disturbs a lot of "the hive." Many who are trying to succeed and are struggling with various issues already suddenly have a whole boatload of negativity and doubts dumped upon them. Because a user who attempts this form of steemicide obviously isn't "making enough" with their posts, they determine that the whole thing is a scam, the system is rigged, and since they can't make any money at it, neither can you, so you better stop trying before you prove them wrong.
Yeah, it's sad to see, hard to listen to, and harder to control than a two-year old in the back seat while you're driving 70 miles per hours on the highway between two big rigs.
Often, I've tried to help cool off people committing this form of steemicide with gentle encouragement and edifying words of wisdom, but such is usually ineffective. Their minds are made up and if you disagree, you're either helping to run this scam or you are too ignorant to realize how deceived you really are.
I've seen a lot of others try to prevent people from committing steemicide this way, which is encouraging and goes to show what kind of community we are really building here. Most people actually care about the others here and want them to succeed. So many are willing to offer advice and words of encouragement.
When the user kicking the hornets nest refuses to give up and change their tone, eventually it seems that they wind up being downvoted into oblivion, and basically cease to exist.
BRINGING A KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT
This is a form of steemicide where you are outgunned and keep asking for it, so eventually someone kills you. Who do the unsuccessful knife-wielding newcomers seek out to personify the "evil steemit system?" Often, it is the whales or those who have become successful with the help of the whales.
The problem with attacking these individuals is that they have way more influence and a lot more connections. One downvote from a single whale can often devastate a minnows reputation. You may have seen how just a few full-power upvotes from me can lift a user from the mid-twenties into the low thirties. Now just imagine a whale, with some serious power, can do when they downvote someone instead of upvoting them! Those with lower reputations are both more likely to commit this form of steemicide and they are easier to annihilate with a powerful downvote. This certainly can put them at risk, if they choose to battle another user.
It is also worth noting that the successful steemians often have a whole school of followers. This means that they may not even need to fight their own fight. Call them bodyguards if you want, but the moment that a steemicidal minnow attempts to take a bite out of their favorite blogger, they may want to step in and protect the one that they are following. Or even worse, perhaps a pack of followers don't appreciate the attack.
Suddenly, as if surrounded by a pack of hungry piranhas, the minnow may find itself flagged into the unseen.
Has their been some periodical questionable activities in the steemit community? Yes, of course there has... people are involved. However, this does not mean that every successful steemian is involved or that someone should attempt to call them out, threaten them, and expose them to the world as a fraud... especially if they are innocent.
Don't start a battle that you can't win with a lack of information and the wrong point of view, especially if it may cost you your life.
SELF INFLICTED WOUND TO THE REP
There are many ways that I already mentioned to get your reputation score to drop, but those are more "side-effects" of the unfortunate activities that some choose to participate in. There is another form of steemicide where dropping the reputation is the goal.
I've seen it multiple times where an angry or upset user suddenly freaks out, and compromises everything in an attempt to get heard. In the process of trying to get heard, they wind up getting silenced. The louder that they attempt to scream, the more that their voice fades into a whisper.
The most unfortunate part about some of the cases of this form of steemicide that I've observed is that money and steemit conspiracies weren't even the "issues." Repeatedly, some actual injustice or serious harassment was actually taking place, and the victim just responded wrong. In an emotional attempt to get someone to right the wrong, the user just made some poor choices, and wound up committing steemicide in the process.
If you have a serious issue, please consider asking for advice on what to do first, in a coherent, peaceful post.
What you do not want to do is to begin blasting all sorts of nasty language and inappropriately tagging the article in an attempt to be heard. I have not yet seen this method succeed, but I have seem fellow steemians disappear after such attempts.
As with any society or community, there is a general protocol and etiquette within the steemit community, and it is best to follow it.
This may sound like censorship to some of you, but it is not. Inappropriate behavior and activities should always be dealt with accordingly. Any view or opinion is free to be expressed here, and any user has the freedom to either agree or disagree with that opinion. However, to resort to tag abuse and vulgar and profane nonsense in an attempt to convey a message actually has the opposite effect of the one that was hoped for. I've seen it before, and unfortunately, most likely will again. I just hope that it's not you committing this form of steemicide next time.
THE NOOSE
This is actually my favorite form of steemicide for many reasons.
Yes, I know that sounds deranged and creepy, but please allow me to explain.
For one, this form is silent. Basically, "the noose" is when a user just "checks out" of steemit. By doing so with a quiet exit, or maybe a simple goodbye, there has not been much compromised. Since there has been no attacks on steemit or its users, no flag wars have been instigated. Since no inappropriate behavior has taken place, there has been no retaliation.
A few of the benefits of this form of steemicide are:
- No immediate loss of followers
- No loss of reputation
- No relationships compromised
- No negative stigma attached to the username
- The chance of resurrection is greatest
With the other forms of steemicide a lot can be lost. A tarnished reputation can be hard to rebuild. An offended user can be hard to befriend again. Here though, with a silent exit, you can avoid all that. Then, if you change your mind later, you can just slide right back in. The Steem Power and SBD will be right where you left them, with interest, and perhaps the value of them may even be higher by then. You may have lost a few users during your absence, but if they chose to follow you once, they can choose to follow you again, especially since you just "took a break" and did nothing to actually offend them.
This platform can be a difficult one to participate in, and it can be very discouraging. I've seen enough stick around and actually "make a success" of themselves for me not to try to encourage others to do likewise. Too many have quit, often after doing undesirable damage to their username and reputation. If you've started down this path, please turn around. If you've already vanished into a negative reputation, I would suggest that you consider changing your name, your attitude, and your outlook on steemit.
5 IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER
- No one promised you money to come here - Earning something for your posts is a possibility, not a guarantee.
- Often, a lot of work is required to get a payout (kind of like in real life - work 2 weeks for 1 paycheck, etc.)
- This platform has a lot of fun activities and interaction that exist beyond the money.
- Blogging is not the only way to make some money - Voting and entering contests can also pay off.
- The only way that I can guarantee that you will not succeed is to quit - As long as you do not quit, there is a chance that you can succeed. If you quit, there is no possible way that you can succeed.
THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT TO REMEMBER:
- All too often, our own jealousy and envy are the root of the issues here. When you are the successful one, there is no problem. However, when you are not, everything and everyone is a problem. Those who created steemit did not have to do it. They chose too, and since they did, we all have an opportunity to be blessed by it. That is a good thing, even if others get more of a blessing out of it, and even if only others get a blessing out of it, and we never do.
Are you comfortable with someone else receiving a blessing?
Or are you still more important than every other person combined?
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