Ripe for the picking

Have you noticed a difference?

Before Steemfest started it was mentioned that this Steemfest was different, this was the one of creators and communities, the one where for the first time the responsibility of control fell squarely on the user base. The first night of my arrival was the night before the Steemfest started and a small group of us were talking at our AirBnb, two of those were @coruscate and @anomadsoul. We spoke a fair bit together about the future of Steem, possibility, community, opportunity and responsibility. We also enjoyed some random pizza.

Those two released a new project tonight called @steemonboarding that is aimed at helping newcomers get up to speed, learn what is what and find communities that can welcome them in. These types of initiatives are going to grow and, they are should be supported by the community and leveraged by the applications to sort and find suitable users.

The further Steem progresses, the more the community is going to have to take responsibility for itself, Steemit Inc is slowly but surely stepping away from a position of authority, just as they should in a decentralized, self-governing community.

Steemfest brought a lot of new ideas to the table but more importantly than that, it was about handshakes, networking, listening and discussions aimed to connect ideas to people, people to the community, the community to the world. This sounds somewhat idealistic but if anyone came away from Steemfest this year without a sense of impending growth, they weren't part of the conversations. It was encouraging to say the very least.

The community is and always will be the core of Steem value even though there are times that it might not be so apparent, even to those who are the most positive about the future of the blockchain. For me it has always been a long game of trial and error, experimenting, looking at the feedback, adjusting and running a new test. Through this, the community evolves to continually find a better path, even though at times it will feel like it is taking a step backward.

Over the next few months I think we will see a lot of new introductions happening, innovations, new views of the blockchain, new apps being released and with them, new ways for users to interact, transact and of course earn. It is a pretty exciting time to be on Steem for those who are looking to develop or build a position in the community, as there are so many projects in the pipeline that it is relatively easy to become part of one, help out and most importantly, learn.

At this stage of development there is an easy rule to live by; the more you learn, the more you earn.

Likely because of the time spent here on Steem, people seem to forget that most people in this world have zero understanding of blockchains, cryptocurrencies and how a community can create value from what to them seems like thin air. While people are lamenting the fall in price of the markets and individual coins, the rest of the world is slowly waking up to their existence. Even if one struggles on Steem, what can be learned here empowers a future of employment and opportunity in a whole range of positions, many of which have not even been created yet.

People act like Steem is an end game, It isn't. It is a piece of the puzzle that will click into place with many other pieces of both the cryptosphere and real world interactions to become a cornerstone of technological advancement. And through us as a community, a corner stone that keeps evolving and becoming stronger as we ourselves drive the changes, push the boundaries and run the cutting edge. I don't think people recognize the part they play in the larger conversation yet, but they will in time.

Many will miss out unfortunately, not because they were excluded, but they chose not to be included, chose not to actively find their position, interact and become a part of the discussion. There are many wallflowers wanting to dance - but waiting to be asked. Maybe they are scared of rejection, perhaps they are fearful of trying and failing or like me, scared of succeeding also. It is hard to say but we are all responsible for our experience in this life and if we want change, it must come from us first and foremost. We must own our change.

As I see it, investing into Steem and the community is an investment into myself and the future as they are increasingly linked to the point that perhaps, they will never be able to be teased apart. It is rooting in, it is growing with and as part of the ecosystem itself and the more hooks that are thrown into the world, the more hooks get attached to the blockchains and the more value they hold.

This is just the beginning though, we are still startup phase as an industry learning and negotiating the definitions, exploring where we could go and discovering what is within our circle of influence and what is unnecessary. It takes time and it is the kind of time that most people never want to spend. Years. It has been 10 years since the inception of Bitcoin and those who were in at the start are likely wondering where that decade has gone. Looking back time flies, going forward takes forever.

Maybe you are here to put food on the table or perhaps change the world but, here you are still. Make the most of your time and expand your possibility. A day, a week, a year. It could amount to nothing or it could become the most valuable period you will ever know and remember, what some consider too risky, others consider an opportunity too good to miss.

All of experience is personal perspective.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]

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