I can't wait til the Bull runs and chases the bear into hibernation. Well, I can wait because I am patient like that but, you know what I mean.

https://i.imgur.com/CYYc59H.jpg

What I am so excited about is how those who bought Steem are going to *feel* when it sinks in that they are distributing some very real economic numbers. 

I remember when the linear voting hardfork came into effect and for the first time my vote made a noticeable change to someone's content rewards. It really did feel good after 6 months of essentially feeling like it didn't matter what I did with my vote and, I didn't have an insignificant amount of Steem at that point.

But later, I bought 25,000 in delegation which with a stroke of timing luck, was a few weeks before the pump that ended 2017. I spread a lot of value during those days. I held the delegation for a year and ran it at a loss as I felt at the time, distributing was more important. 

Perhaps I should have just self-voted my comments as many of the people I thought I was helping, powered down and out at the first dips. I know (or at least believe) I could have done more good with it for the Steem community than they did with it. But, that is the risk, I know the game.

The delegation got too expensive though as I was losing support too and could no longer keep it so I gave it away. It felt bad to do because, I could no longer support as wide and deeply but, it had to be done. Fortunately for me, I ended up getting some free delegation which I am eternally grateful for and so should everyone I vote for too. 

It has helped me grow as I have been able to power up from trading and use that to earn through my delegation to @ocdb and still support people. I am lucky yes, but it isn't dumb luck, it has taken a lot of work to get here and a fair amount of risk and resolve was taken and required.

But, because I have gone from that nothing vote through the bullrun with a larger vite and back through the bear markets, I have a pretty good understanding of the various sides. A lot of people seem to remember the highs in Steem but it wasn't long before that there were plenty of lows and from a value perspective, they were lower than today.

People forget that while they all want to go back in time and buy 7 cent Steem, most voters on the platform had a dust vote because if n2 and for authors like me, were getting a lot of dust. I had no whale friends and I knew no one and nothing in those days. To get Steem required votes and let's say that, most people with a vote weren't voting very widely. There were some though. 

Linear changed that however and to this day, that week of hardfork 19 was one of the highest if not the highest earning System week for me. The reason was that suddenly, all those dust votes had value and it was applied to all open posts. What a great week... 

Delegations came in at the same time however and then the first bidbit started, a tiny little *Rando* one that was distributing a couple dollars a vote max and, there was potential for loss. I called it at that point and sure enough, *that escalated quickly.* But, no one wanted to really listen and after fighting a losing battle, the community accepted them and people like Jerry shovelling their shill.

The bull came and no one cares, people went crazy posting all kinds of random crap for reward, anything  that would get some reward. It'll happen again.

When that bull runs this time however, there are going to be more people who *actually paid* for their Steem rather than relying on reward from whales alone and, they are hopefully going to care more about the future of their investment which is, the community they bought into.

They are going to hopefully hold, weild and distribute, a great deal of value into the Blockchain, they are going to be a collective of powerhouses with hundreds more dolphins, a lot of new orcas a few whales and many more minnows making up their ranks. 

If they are investment savvy, during the bullrun they will be using their investment to actively support and grow the platform as it will be the time that a great many people will flood in and populate the applications on the chain. As the bull retracts it's horns however, the flood will recede but, some of those new users will *get it* and stay. They will be the next layer of foundation and time after time, the Steem network will grow, expand and strengthen through a diverse and versatile user base.

While I will be happy the next bill run and might even sell a little steem if it hits my sell point, the most important accounts on this platform will be all of the ones who took the risk to buy and build in the uncertainty. 

I was already sold on Steem, they are going to find out just what they bought into.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
<sub>(posted from phone in the lobby bar)</sub>