Image: Public Domain

What's your motivation?

I've only been on Steemit for 11 or so days and already I'm seeing a big difference between my dawgs that are doing things right (take @adil or @stackin for an example) and the brothers that aren't yet on-point.

What's the point? If you don't know, you 'bout to find out.

If someone hops onto blogging only motivated by financial success, especially to the extent that it eclipses or kills any desire to connect with the community and add value, they're going to have a bad time. Unfortunately, the rest of us are going to have a bad time along with them and probably mute the offending party.

Everyone's time is important, and it's an insult to waste people's time. It's taking up a piece of someone's day and giving nothing in return. Intelligent readers can pick up on repeated and carelessly worded drivel that's meant only to selfishly promote one's self. In the last week I've seen some users:

• Randomly ask strangers for the gift of a phone
• Use cut-&-paste comments that generically thank the author of a post (adding NO social or informational value)
• Ask not for up votes on carefully crafted content, but massive crypto tips

There are whales, there are minnows, there are even swimming pigs... and then again, there are bottom-feeders.

Instead of obsessing about a few crypto pennies, why not obsess about A) being genuine, kind and courteous and hopefully B) becoming a better blogger? Do some users have such low confidence in themselves that they have to resort to spamming? SteemIt is still in its early stages, why not be grateful to be here relatively early - and get to work building a community? YOUR community! Begging or pestering is a path to stagnation, not success!

I debated about posting this. Certainly I'm not perfect, but I learn quickly and I genuinely care about others and the impression I leave on them. I'm not busting on any one user in particular and my goal here's to spur others to excellence rather than rain down criticism.

So, be sure to leave a "Gud post bro, gr8 job, plz look @ my posts, k?" in the comment section... or maybe not XD

If you liked this post, I'll have a funny cartoon depiction of bottom feeders uploaded later today!