I was amongst the lucky ones that experienced early Steemit success. My friend @mada shared a post on Facebook about his novel. As with many of my inner circle, @mada falls in to a category of colleagues that has consistently demonstrated good taste in all things art, tech and culture. Friends like that save me time, because if they’re passionate about something […in this case Steemit], I don’t have to worry if it’s worth investing in.
I did my own due diligence researching Steemit. I’ve hardly used Reddit and I’m completely ignorant to cryptocurrency, so the learning curve for Steemit was steep. Like many in this position, the explanations @mada gave me seemed too good to be true, but I wasn’t motivated by money for content. I was motivated by the need for an alternative to Facebook.
For years, I’ve felt victimized by a company that does not reflect my values or ethics. The shameless, insultingly blatant overstepping of privacy […not unique to Facebook, of course]. Arm twisting tactics to get users to do what they want. Milgram Study level experiments on our psychology by changing UI just long enough for users to adapt, then intentionally changing it back to assess stress thresholds. Clockwork Orange style targeting of users emotions with depressing and disturbing content, just to see how it affects their posting habits. Although the legal name issue is a complex one […as seen with the bullying pitfalls of anonymity such as Twitter], I do have several LGBTQ friends affected by that policy, and seeing how deeply it has affected them, it’s just another example of how Facebook does not represent me as a user, or individual.
In the tech community, there’s a saying, “Everyone is on Facebook, because everyone is one Facebook.”. Poignant. For me, like millions, I bought in to the silo early, not aware of the walled garden I was allowing to dictate my social media future. I’m a freelance photographer and illustrator, and Facebook still accounts for 25% of my income. Instagram makes up at least 50% more […a Facebook company].
I remember when Ello snuck on to the scene. It was pretty bad, but I was so optimistic. I gave out so many private invite codes, and requested more. I was an ambassador for the change in social media, trying to bring my friends along. Sadly, we know how that story turned out.
I wrote my introduction to Steemit, which you can read here, only intending to verify my identity and tell some of my story. Shortly after posting, I began seeing the value go up. Like, really up. Within an hour it was valued at $430. I called @mada and said “It says it’s $430. That’s not real, right?”, to which he enthusiastically replied “YES! It is real!”. In that moment, I saw the democratized juggernaut Steemit it will become against the enemies of social networks. Not necessarily referring to the amount of money my first post was making, but the ideal it represented. The outrage I’ve felt for Facebook was compounded 100x’s over when I became aware just how much my time, talents and efforts have been taken advantage of.
That first introduction post continued to gain value, eventually trending and ending at $1780 for the first 24 hour window. @mada has since given me a few crash courses on cryptocurrency, Steem, Steem Dollars and Steem Power, and I’ve found great resources trending by brilliant contributors here. I’ve been given a surge of creativity like I haven’t possessed in years. Constantly thinking of worthwhile posts, unique to my personal experiences. I was a professional death match wrestler for five years. I used to breed rare species of tarantulas from all over the world. I performed side show attractions eating lightbulbs and having dollar bills stapled to my face, tongue and body. I have a lot to say!
All those potential blogs have sent me in to a manic tailspin, and I’m wondering, am I the only one having anxiety dreams about Steemit?! For the last week, every night I’ve been posting in the evening, then having anxiety dreams about how well it performs. Posts being upvoted in to the thousands of dollars of value, then waking up to $2.12 is sobering […and somewhat entertaining]. I’m a poor artist, so the monetary attachment to Steemit does play on my vulnerable subconscious needs, but moreover, it’s a testament to how much this new world of social networking has impacted my life. I love having something to think about this much! The interaction here is genuine, the content is inspiring and the theology of the site’s architecture feels like the home I’ve been searching for throughout all the bad with Facebook.
If you can dream it, you can Steemit!
I post every day. Follow me here!