Steem: the smart person’s blockchain, but what about the herd?
View this post on Hive: Steem: the smart person’s blockchain, but what about the herd?
I've moved to Hive, along with most other people, following Justin Sun's takeover of Steem in the Spring of 2020. I believe hive is a lot more decentralised than Steem!
The herd has been my big fear ... I can remember early pioneering days of other social media and how it turned into some horrible hybrid of Tonbridge Wells and Clacton ... but last count, there were only 123 Brits on steem, this can't be the sum total of intelligent people in the Isles, can it? (On the other hand, maybe it can) ... by your reckoning of the top 20%, we should be able to rustle up another 13 million. Even 10% of that would do.
True... I think I meant to say that at the end... the 20% still being a lot!
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I feel the same way about mass-adoption, to be honest. I get why we want it, but I don't want it. I can't, you know? Only the other day, I was talking with @eveuncovered about how amazing SF felt, how great it was to instantly be among like-minded, smart people, not to have to sort through the dust to find someone worth talking to because there were so many phenomenal, intelligent people in attendance.
This sounds like a nightmare, to be honest. Part of the charm of SF3 was that we were so few (well, few in regards to broader scales). A small well-knit group where people could relate and understand one another. That will get lost and I definitely don't want that. Seems to me that the whole platform will lose appeal if we "go global". Why? Because the herd doesn't want intelligent conversation, doesn't want to actually think. We like to imagine this mass adoption will be something along the lines of the herd opening their eyes, but I think it might be us growing more sleepy, really. Sad.
Part of me is still lost in the memory of SF3, but now you've given it an extra layer ;) Excellent post.
Amen girl!
Astute observstion. We do tend to look at SMTs and 'March 2019' as the promised land in 'salvationary' tones.
But that is a total assumption.
I think the thing about SF4 when it happens is to just remember the great lesson from Northern England: - whatever its character 'it is what it is'
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Thank you :) I'm rather wary of all this hopefulness for "convincing the masses". I've never wanted to convince the masses, if I know something is good or that at least I like it, I see no point in convincing others of its worth. Same with Steem, but it seems we're headed in that direction whether we like it or not...
Totally agree about SF4. I'll take it in as it is (that is if I am lucky enough to make it) and enjoy what is then. Just like everything else in life, no? ;)
Absolutely... it's a phrase I picked up from some friends from up North a couple of years back - 'it is what it is' - I use it a lot!
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It's a good phrase, I think, teaches you to let go of a lot of shit you can't control, huh?
Absolutely! And there's a lot of shit that's out of your control. It's also the first step to being able to change tjose things you can change: realising things as they really are!
Shame we didn't get a chance to chat more at SF3!
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Very well said. We sometimes get so caught up thinking about all the things we don't like and feeling responsible for a lot of stupid shit that really isn't our fault. I tend to do that quite a bit, feel responsible for others, and lately, I'm seeing the benefits of just saying 'fuck it', you know, of realizing it's not up to me.
It really is, I have a feeling we would've gotten along really well :)
Absolutely! It’s very Zen, which I like.
Are you calling all of us SMART?! :D I like this post ;-)
Anyway - all true - SteemFest3 is over and will never come back. Every SteemFest will have it's own 'theme' and value and talking topics - and every SteemFest will have a different 'feel'.
I heard more Minnows and 'simple' content makers were present this year than before - but still, the filter here is they want to be at the same place as the talks, developers, witnesses - to exchange ideas and information, basically this means most people will have at least an above average insight, interest and knowledge about all the topics.
I'm not afraid of the possible 3000 people next year - they will all be very involved as the 300 this year. It will be harder to find 'your gang', maybe, but maybe different locations will attend to different communities, like 'early SteemFest-goers', and 'Appics users', and 'Steemmonster players'... I'm not sure yet what to think of it because I like a broader diversity and I want to talk with all individuals even if they are not in 'my' community. It can definitely broaden my perspective.
We'll see.
For now I'm still enjoying reading up on all the memories of SteemFest3 and who knows - SteemFest4 might surpass all our wildest imagination...
Well it's hard to go wrong if you complement people!
I'm still not quite adjusted.... I think tomorrow is going to be my forcing myself back into my 'normal routine' day.
I'm going to try and not anticipate SF4 too much.... it will be what it will be. At my age time seems to pass quickly so I'll be there in no time!
Cheers!
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I didn't get to go to SF3, or any before it, but hope to go to the next one. Even though I'm seriously an introvert who avoids large gatherings (and 300 is quite large to me), I would really love to meet some of the people I've been discoursing with here on Steemit this past year. You're reminding me how important it is to take advantage of that before it really does become more mainstream. (I recall being invited to Burning Man many years ago and being told there were 2,000 people there. My reply was that I'd wait until it got smaller, LOL.)
In terms of the complexity of being involved here, yeah, that's a bummer actually. I've tried so hard to get so many people blogging on here who I know have something valuable to contribute, and who could really benefit from being here too. But in the end they all find it to be too much work. I think that you're highlighting that it is varying amount of "work" depending on how quickly one can process all the technical information required.
Sites/blockchains like Minds may actually be easier for a lot of people, though I personally can't stand being on that site. It's a lot like Facebook, complete with paid posts being shoved at you in your feed even if you have no interest whatsoever in those topics.
I look forward to seeing lots more dapps created for steem that hide the complexity without introducing "official spam" being inserted into our feeds.
One other point I thought you were about to develop is that the dominance of more and more dapps with large delegations also means it is going to get harder to earn rewards on here if you aren't getting rewards from dapps. The free agent blogger is going to find it even harder to earn on here, even if they buy Steem and upvote themselves. Active community involvement is going to become vital to success.
You should definitely come to.SF4!
You're right about dapps decreasing the amount of money available to.bloggers I think!
Better enjoy the rewards while they're still significant!
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Perfectly laid out... I've had conversations with different Steemians from time to time, how our "elitism" at times is a hindrance...
Meaning that this blockchain, or to be more accurate, the dapps, can't just cater to nerds (i say this lovingly), but to the grandmas and moms who just want to share pictures.
I think it's also an indication of how early in the game we still are. But then again, the dapps might be the one solution to "fix" this all...
Good thoughts... Steem/it seems so unfocused, but I guess that's organic ... still I wish there was more professionalism, seems like there's always amateurish stuff and failed deadlines occurring... rumors but little visible action
I think that speaks more of the cryptosphere in general... It's very hard to meet deadlines in the world of software development. There are always unpredictable elements that pop up.
Even though there are extremely talented coders working on blockchains, we still have very much a young capital of human resource, thus some of the things you describe become painfully obvious.
I think a lot of the emotional turmoil this causes on us, the early adopters, has more to do with our expectations. I constantly revise my own, and for perspective look at some historic evidence.
How did the .com evolve? Who failed? Who succeeded? Why?
Yes grant you, its not the same, but drawing the parallels is not hard to do.
yes, it's true ... things are 20/20 in the long run, but being present in the development phase is a headache. I can't make heads-or-tails of it most days, but along for the ride.
new follower, take er ez (-: ty
There are a few good posts around which explain various aspects of the chain bit it's not beem easy to save them this last year. Still some new front ends like steempeak and partiko do have faves available so it's better!
It is an effort!
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what exactly are steempeak and partiko anyways? ... not to bother u 2 much ,, ty
Just dapps to allow to access steem, better interfaces than steemit - steempeak is for the PC and Partiko for yr mobile. I use both.
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How did the .com evolve. Actually good question! Bedtime research for me there!
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Yup absolutely fair point... I would've phrased it that way but it just didnt fit tje way the post evolved.
I guess there is a temptation to appeal to the data heads. But I agree, the 80% just have no interest in that!
You can only do so much at a time!
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I managed to have some very good conversations with people much smarter than me and not feel like a complete moron :D
What I liked was that there really are a lot of patient people willing to spend their time to listen and explain various things i ways I can understand. When it comes to the technical details it is important for me to be able to build a working model in my head and that requires it explained in ways I can understand.
A lot of fun to be had at SF.
Yes same.... there's a lot of scope to develop infographs that explain steem simply (rather then yet more videos)... to visualise 'the system'.
And analogies too.
Defo more 'informational art' can do to explain the technical stuff.
NB - on how complex steem is... I think you'd probably lose 80-90% of the popluation as soon you mentioned the word 'algorithm'.... but you can explain what one is quite simply.
Maybe that means it's not that complex... rambling now...need a break!
Cheers.
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The complexity is severely diminished once a clear working model is held of the system.
This covers my last last two years ;)
What can I say re rambling - yr a role model!
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@revisesociology wow thanks for pointing out something so obvious! I had my own thoughts about the commonality that ties Steemians together - I thought it is the willingness to be unconventional.
But they go somewhat hand in hand - the unwillingness to be part of the herd and intelligence.
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I think they do go together.. it's like members of eco-communities - chock full of postgrads.
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Oh wow...I had never quite thought of it that way. From going to the Steem Creators conference this past September and the few meet-ups @freedompoint and I have done, I have definitely noticed a difference with the people. It was like there was something there...a common thread that pulled us all together. Almost like everyone had the same piece of personality, but I think you nailed it with the analytical and creative intelligence. It just makes sense, and explains why so many people don't want to use the blockchain.
Hey thanks.... I was also going to say that you have to be prepared for a steep learning curve/ take risks etc
Different breed atm steemians!
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Good comments,,, I get frustrated because I don't know what the focus of Steem/Steemit is... but like you say it's a double edged sword of having a small buy somewhat savvy community vs. a large popular barf and troll fest. I guess it has to happen very organically. But I'm perturbed as I've heard things about communities and smart media tokens and the flavor of the day but things seem to be somewhat amateur since inception. peace
I personally do not feel we can retain Freedom and our current diversity and appeal to mainstream at the same time.
In Mainstream people are accustomed to not having to confront ideas and people they don't like. Here we expect people to have tolerance and the ability to live and work with those they may not like.
Oh god you've just conjured up the phenomenon of 'twitter (style) trolling' on the chain.
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