https://steemitimages.com/0x0/http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh141/lordtothe/steempope_zpsgi7ui6ir.jpg

You're on Steemit. You're here to post material. And you probably want to get paid. But what is the best course of action, and how do you post ethically? Here are some rules to follow! # Do post original content! Write something original. Draw something original. Photograph something original. Steemit is the perfect place to refine your craft, whatever it may be. It's all about you, so create something that reflects you! If you have a preexisting blog, re-posting your own material again is perfectly fine. Just be aware that @Cheetah will potentially notice that the material is from elsewhere on the web, so you may want to post on both Steemit and your original blog that the accounts represent one and the same person. # Do *not* plagiarize! Don't just copy posts from other websites or any other source. The Steem Papacy does not support intellectual property laws, but your personal integrity matters. If you do use content created by others, provide attribution. If you didn't make it, attribute it. Quotations and images should include a description and a hyperlink to the source. Don't just copy an excerpt from another website and include a link as your entire post. Provide substantive commentary on the material. Add something unique that can serve as a basis for discussion. # Should you decline payout? If for some reason you do want to copy material from someone else without adding anything of your own, as I did some time ago when I posted some old essays from the 1800s as a serialized series, provide attribution and specify that it is *not* original content, and **decline payout.** If you're ever in doubt as to the morality of profiting from someone else's work too much, or otherwise think a post does not warrant a payout, the *decline payout* option is always there. # Conclusion: As a Steemian, it is your obligation to make sure you are above reproach. All newbies will make some mistakes, but try to learn from them, and make an effort to rise above the mediocrity of spammers and plagiarists with everything you post. It's the only way to get long-term success. # May the Blog be with you, and may the Blockchain bless you. Go forth, and create original content! Amen. *** Other sermons: [Resteeming](https://steemit.com/steempope/@jacobtothe/steem-pope-short-sermon-resteeming) [Commenting](https://steemit.com/steempope/@jacobtothe/steem-pope-short-sermon-comments) [Resteeming Scams](https://steemit.com/steempope/@jacobtothe/steem-pope-short-sermon-resteeming-services)