What Did You Achieve?

It seems to me that December 2025 is one of the loneliest months on Steemit.
The entire month, and for longer, there has been a struggle with the API, and whenever we think the issues are resolved, everything starts all over again. Those who persistently try to log in and are lucky enough to manage it after trying various sites (apps) will quickly notice that it’s deathly quiet. Have all Steemians now left for other platforms? At first glance, it may seem so, but if you look a bit further than your own account and don’t just post and leave, you’ll see there is a small, dedicated core who are always there and stubbornly keep trying to get onto Steemit. This is the group I would say are loyal to Steemit, the social platform. People who still try to read and leave a comment even though they are not rewarded for it, other than their comment appearing maybe three times.

Have I achieved anything on Steemit? How is this witness doing?
In itself, being a witness doesn’t mean that much. You just have to be willing to invest. Of course, votes are nice, but when it comes to witness voting and where you appear in the witness list, the (mates’) politics play a role here as well. If you’re not needed or liked, you simply don’t get a vote from the “big” group. That’s how it works. Can this be fought against? Perhaps if every Steemian were to cast their vote in a fair way, but unfortunately, that’s not the case here either, as friends have also shown. In the end, the wallet counts for more than friendship and the eternal support that enables building a better life. To be honest, this does make me think. Is my friendship and loyalty being exploited here? I think so. Friendship should go both ways, and that is also the reason I have become less active and loyal towards certain people.

Has greed on Steemit grown compared to previous years?
I don’t think so, although it has become more noticeable, and after years of abusing the pool and mindlessly giving upvotes to people who certainly don’t deserve it with what they write or do, it has largely come to an end. Many have left, but don’t be saddened; as we know from Steemit, they come back and are then just as heavily rewarded again no matter if they post frequently or only once per month.

Now that we’re on the subject of rewarding: those who receive a lot never have enough and… everything comes with a price tag!
Nothing comes for free, said my grandmother, who was born in the early 1900s, and she’s right. Even the sun won’t rise for free soon. Is there freedom on this platform? Only if you take that freedom and reckon with the fact that you won’t be liked, won’t make friends, and that those friends will dump you as soon as they can earn 5 cents more elsewhere.

The year 2025 is almost over for whoever is reading this and is still alive.
Still alive? Indeed, many feel depressed and the world is at war, even though it seems only a few countries are allowed to play the victim, and the age-old tune they keep playing is richly rewarded. Does this come at the expense of the value of Steem? I think it largely plays a role. As I said, greed (not what you actually need) plays a big role on social media that claims to pay for every letter posted, even if it’s the biggest nonsense and no different from what at least 2,000 others have written about and not a single person would pay for to be able to read it.

Is there still any point in being on Steemit in 2026? Is Steemit the job you’re looking for?
I can’t answer these questions, but if you think Steemit is a job, even a career, then you’re mistaken. For most, it absolutely isn’t and never will be. The value of Steem has never been so low, and it’s clear that the small group that richly rewards itself has no intention of stopping, not even to give up a little. So my tip is: invest all those hours you spend on platforms, chatting, and complaining in a real job. One that pays, a job in real life, where you also learn how to connect to people. You might need them soon very badly.

What have I achieved this year?
Nothing I had planned. I even find it miraculous that I’m still here. Perhaps Steemit is therapeutic enough to write, to paint again, to talk to a few real people, and is that enough to keep the servers running? Servers that are supposed to ensure all your transactions (posting, commenting, withdrawing your Steem) run smoothly. Of course, my life is more than just Steemit (I’d say thankfully so), but it is certainly a part of my daily life that, thanks to a small group of Steemians and witnesses, I wouldn’t want to miss.

Thank you all for your friendship, the times we laughed, all those times we talked about what concerned us, the pain we shared, and the art we created together. And believe me, there is no money in the world that can replace this. You are a poor person for real if you have no real connections. I think the C-19 lockdowns taught many that. Strangely enough, the isolation of people is only growing even more because of AI. What will you do when the power fails more often? With whom or what will you occupy yourself then? Playing Ludo or Chess alone? Sinking in the swamp of a deeper depression?

I wish those reading this a good and healthy (mind included) 2026!

P.s. Mountain tops are easier to climb together. You are not a winner if you push someone else down!

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