From a Layman's View Part I

         I remember this promotional image made by another Steemian last year. I'm not gonna lie, I can't remember who. It was around the time of late August and Labor Day in 2018. I recall the STEEM price being around $0.80-0.90. That's right, seven to eight times the current price, and the chain had even less features then.

         When I look back on some of the "promotional" materials, I can't help but feel that something was amiss. Kudos to those who were trying, but it seemed as if they weren't targeting the right people. And, the chain didn't have the right organizations (@steemalliance, etc.) to act.

         Steemians always talk about "mass adoption", but do they think about how to get there? I'm sure you've seen it all, but let's take a moment and pretend we are outsiders with no crypto knowledge looking in.

Censorship Resistance

         How many everyday social media users worry about censorship of their browsing experience? Little to none. Think about your average Facebook user. Boy, they are living in fear of not being able to banter with strangers and watch random videos. Last I checked, plenty of people photo-blogged their lives without second thoughts.

         Point being, this isn't something your average Joe cares about. This is a content creator issue. Before you mention places like China, I don't see people from there flocking to Steem. Would that even be wise? Having the blockchain record every "anti-government" sentiment as evidence against you later?

         Back to authors, only those who face demonetization would find this attribute valuable. Looking back on Pewdiepie, that was the smartest move DLive ever made. The guy has a large following and they moved with him to a different platform. The followers are there because of Pewdiepie, not because of some grand vision. So, cut the horse crap about your Libertarian Utopia.

         Like I said, your average Joe doesn't care. Hell, even I don't care. Content creator not facing the above-mention problems? They don't care either.

Zero-fee Transactions

         Why would average people care about this? The answer is, again, they don't. Unless they are moving money across borders on a regular basis, it's a moot point. And that is assuming they are moving money through digital venues.

         But this feature has extreme value to businesses. Think about Gods Unchained. Miners on Ethereum can be jerks to deal with. Then, add transaction fees on top of it all. All they need the blockchain for is to confirm ownership on purchases. On the local level, think about Splinterlands. Imagine having to pay before you buy, sell, and move your cards.

         A different example for business use of the blockchain is New Balance. You know what they use the Cardano network for? No, not to speculate or be a large staking pool. They use the chain as an authentication service for their luxuary goods.

         Businesses don't depend on the reward pool for revenue. They sell products. They also have a following like successful content creators. In essence, they don't extract value from the chain, they add to it.

         When you look at stuff like @bukio and their @booksteem project. It doesn't seem like a business at all. Do they expect to bring "investors" returns by using the reward pool? Steemians should scrutinize "businesses" whose revenue consists of reward pool. Does @fundition fit into that mold as well?

Three-second Confirmations

         Some people know credit cards only appear to have instantaneous transactions. Banks and credit card companies settle the books at the end of the day, but it's instant from the consumers' view. Telling someone about this would only leave them scratching their head.

         Like all the points above, this isn't something an average person cares about. It's more valuable to businesses and those who deal with those behind-the-scenes work.

         At the end of the day, someone like me only cares whether this stuff works.

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         So, you are thinking: "well, what have you done?"

         The answer is there's not much I could do. There might not be much anyone can do unless they have connections and weight in the real world. This is why I'm somewhat baffled by the slow organization of @steemalliance. Do we want a liaison to the world or not? Business development is a needed function in this decentralized landscape. Ask any major blockchain project.

         You might say, "tell your friends and neighbors". I will cover that segment next time.

         You can't expect someone from, say Nike, to tell the board they got the recommendations to use Steem. From who? Oh, some strangers on the internet. Not a legal entity, but some people. Not only that, they seem to hold some large stake in this obscure network. Sounds like a scam is more like it. This is why getting that @steemalliance working is important.

         It's the same thing with known content creators. Unless you are well-established in that fandom, I don't see how you could bring the said creators over. Spamming in their Twitch chat or Discord is not marketing. That's noise liken to fart in the wind.

         For content creators that use other social media, put your Steem profile links there. What is the point when you hide it away from the world? Are you afraid more people will come in and take away from your slice of the pie? Or, are you ashamed of being part of the community?

         I'll be honest and say that I don't advocate for the network because I am ashamed. Ashamed of the social interactions. Ashamed of the lackluster features. Ashamed of the shady behaviors you wouldn't see out in the open in the real world.

         And no, people like @jerrybanfield won't get the network there. Your sales pitch shouldn't be "get paid to shitpost". You would never attract the right people here. The moment when the price tanks, like now, they disappear. Why? Because there was never any other reason to stay in the first place.

         Why buy STEEM? This post doesn't discuss that at all. It currently serves as a speculative token and those driven by the politics of the platform.

Moral of the story: find those who have a following. When they come here, the rest will follow.