RE: Now we are selling witness votes?
Well proof of brain started getting talked about with SMTs, there has never been any doubt that POS (Proof of Stake) rules everything about Steem, from the bidbots to the lack of curation and even the current Witnesses.
I found the idea unsettling at first and since I don't have a witness it will not really matter to me, but I don't pretend to think it isn't already happening. I really can't see any harm.
Most of your post is about the idea of Merit, which I think is romantic but not part of the current system. I guess time will tell. I can't really imagine what will be different. A handful of people will still pick the winners and the losers. My account is 800ish in Steem Power, and I do not have any influence on the witnesses.
I hear what you are saying, but I am not sure it will change much.
I am a bit of an idealist, I must admit. But I happen to like that side of me... don't get me wrong, I realize I must land two feet on the ground eventually, but I'll try until I can't anymore.
:) I'm not arguing with you, I just think there is this idea it currently runs on merit and I think it is hysterical.
We are talking about a bunch of people using nicknames and who have no identity until recently our top witness were voting for dead witnesses and people that no one even knows to hold their own positions. We know if Jerry was buying/selling/trading votes and in the top 20. That means others in the top 20 are also involved.
Now, we are going to pretend that we think the merit system is going to be corrupted? That isn't idealism that is lying to yourself. (Said in a friendly tone without snark) :)
oh no, you are 100% right and I know you mean this with a friendly tone, I promise. I just thought we were moving away from this. Maybe, naively so, but I seriously did.
I gotta ask myself if its better to be open about it or not, it's almost as if we might live in a society were everyone smokes pot, but loves sunday morning church. (silly analogy)
I'm trying to process this, I really am.
Yeah, I had to do some sorting through this also, I get it.
In addition, it isn't that I am a fan of the idea, it is more like acceptance that we do not have enough stake-holders to create any kind of "Wisdom of the Crowd". A handful of people make most of the decisions, can control what they want and it is impacting every single part of the Steem Eco-System and stifling our growth. I don't like these facts, but it doesn't make them any less true.
I am pretty sure the witness vote buying/selling is already happening albeit behind the curtain ...
Having said that , I do like the idea that witnesses have to do more than just run a node , how many of top witnesses are doing anything more than running a node ?
that's a question worth exploring....
The blockchain moves forward every 3 seconds. I only vote for a few witnesses and that is mostly because we only have a few witnesses that stand out. The rest of them move the blocks forward every 3 seconds.
I agree it is happening.
Good News/Bad News The vast majority of us play virtually no roll in the meaningful selection of witnesses.
It's a bit in your face (with this service) and bit difficult to just roll with it...
roll
"In your face". So, it is better to pretend we aren't being influenced by stake in a proof of stake system? :) No worries, it's going to happen, there is nothing most of us can or will do about it.
I don't make the reality, I'm just saying it. :)
I just wanted to make the roll gif pun...
is all
I like anonymity in my witnesses.
The clash of realities comes from what we were sold , when joining - as to what steemit was perceived to be, and to what steemit actually is, I think.
I only joined under the (mis)conception that it was totally about writing and getting value from that...
Obviously if I had looked deeper into it at that point, I would have known differently - but that's how it has been sold to people...
It isn't being sold as anything, it doesn't have a marketing department.
I wasn't told it was all about writing, nor did I "hear" that.
I think what you mean is that is what you told or you heard. I understand that would be disappointing, but in a world where content holds nearly zero value, it is the token speculation that gives content it's value.
I understand though, I also was a little surprised when I joined for different reasons, but I guess after the initial surprise you just focus on what you can do and what you can change and leave the rest alone.
Oh, but it IS being sold as something. It's there on the front page before you log in.
The whole thing is evolving into at best a farce at worst a scam.
Therein lies the problem outlined in the post. Without the influence of the top 20, nothing changes on this platform, and the behaviour of people such as @jerrybanfield demonstrates clearly and consistently how that influence can and is being abused.
...it was being commented on as 'a forum where you can make money from writing'
(I'm talking about my own experience, reading online before I joined - wherever those posts/comments were, I don't remember.)
Looking at various comment over this last 12 months, I'm far from the only one who thought that, also..
I'm not complaining about the way it is, in the slightest, just pointing it out..
I just meant we have no control over what Jerry or others choose to say about the site.
I agree you aren't the only one, we had many people promoting it in various ways, but we have no ability to stop anyone from presenting it how they want.
I didn't fall for 'a Jerry' ! ..phew..
lmao