Well Taraz, this is one of your more well written pieces that everyone who is serious about the future viability of the steemit platform should read. That having been said there are a couple of items I would like to comment on.
If you want to use this like Facebook or Instagram, that is fine but, it is already available on facebook and Instagram so, why be here? If you want to turn this place into Youtube or Twitch, fine but the same premise holds.
Unfortunately, I think that a significantly high percentage of people who come to this platform fall into this category with the illusion of being able to do the same thing and make some money at the same time. Doesn't happen so they resort to other curation methods such as comment upvoting or using bots for example until it dawns on them that bots are a losing proposition as well as other curation methods and then they either become stagnent or leave. Unfortunately it is a relatively minor percentage of people who have the expertise to be high content providers or the drive/determination to learn how to become high content creators/providers.
Second and most importantly I think that the following statement is the crux of the current problem with the steemit platform.....
Right now, it is looking too much like the crony communities of banks and governments, the very people most want to be free of.
This is the problem that the higher minds like yourself and say @fknmayhem are going to have to figure out if the steemit platform is going to be successful.
While I could say more I'll leave it at that. Anyone reading my comments should probably be aware that while I have been an investor in the steemit platform for 324 days, I have serious doubts about the steemit platform going forward and am in the process of powering down, so take my comments with a grain of salt.
We all have those doubts, more often than we would like to admit, @naegling11.
The truth though is that STEEM will not become popular because of Steemit. Steemit Inc. even don’t hide that their focus is elsewhere, rightly so. They’re building a protocol, not one website.
Eventually, if STEEM becomes a big and important token it will because of everything what happens on the Steem blockchain. Mostly SMTs, not because of Steemit.
Maybe Steemit isn’t what most think it is. ;)
A well written article @fknmayem and that is what all steem investors hope for, but what about the crony communities of banksters and governments that currently control a significant amount of steem and daily drain the rewards pool for their own benefit while occasionally throwing a scrap or two to the masses to keep them from revolting.
Or more importantly than that, why are @ned and yourself powering down if the future of steem is so bright. Not trying to be antagonistic, and maybe you both have financial obligations that require you to do something that you don't want to do, but it does seem odd.
To answer to the second part of your question, I’m powering down less than I grow on average ever week. Any other relevant reasoning doesn’t fall in the transparency required for blockchain. :)
As for ned, I’m guessing that he is powering down because his agreement with the board allows him to power down x every x. But that’s merely a wild guess, one which IMHO is a fully normal process though. Founders (and also C-level execs) usually have vesting equity every so often, which they then are allowed to sell.
Addendum: I didn’t say the future is bright. I said we all have have those doubts, more often than we would like to admit. But I do believe in SMTs. Whether that means I also need to be a HODLer... maybe those concept need not be mutually exclusive. But I agree, perception matters. Yet my life is not on the blockchain.
Thanks for the reply @fknmayhem, you're honesty is appreciated. The future is definitely uncertain in regards to a lot of things in life, especially in the crypto sector. One is certainly wise to not have all of their eggs in one basket.
Even though you declined payout I upped you so the comment wasn't at the bottom of the chain.
@fknmayhem is right and I feel that same pressure daily. I would be crazy not to I think considering the uncertainty involved.
He is also right that Steemit (where most focus) is unlikely to be the driving force behind Steem the token. It may evolve into 'just another app' that caters for a market segment.
Who knows the final resting place but hopefully, we are a long way away from death ;)