It's been one year since I discovered Steemit. What a ride it has been! At first I didn't get it, I treated it just like any other social network. It seemed rather primitive in its design and features. I assumed that since it was only freshly launched the month before it was in early phase of development.

I gave it a shot, and not much happened. So, being more invested in other social networks I forgot it for a time. Then as the cold dark Winter months had me in their grip, I was focused on change and finding brighter options ahead of me. As I'm sure most of you know, trying to gain decent exposure on other social networks can be like trying to paddle upstream in a barbed wire canoe. I found my way back to Steemit and started to investigate if it could be a viable option.

I was vaguely aware that you earned some strange cryptocurreny called Steem. I had heard of Bitcoin long before then, and a bit about the drama around the Etherium fork. But beyond that, it all seemed a bit complicated. However, since crypto talk dominates a good part of Steemit, I started to read, and read, and read. Then the penny dropped. 

Cryptocurrency

The world of cryptocurreny started to open up to me. Steemit was a doorway onto that world. But it was more than that. Now I understood what had Steemit content creators so excited. You bring your creativity to the world and actually earn something. Yes, you could actually pay for things with your Steem, even if you had to make a few hops to do it.

I started posting again. This time, I started to get a response, even some votes and followers. However, life has its ways of pulling you off to other directions and let Steemit lie fallow again, that is until a few months ago right before crypto fever went public and there was flood of people who came to see what it was all about.

Money Money Money

You see, the word on the street (internet) was that there was a new social media site that PAID you to blog. Naturally there were many who doubtful, dismissive or even suspicious. There truly is a great deal to wrap your head around. I was trying to explain it to friends as best I could with my limited knowledge. Ultimately in the end I was saying, well it costs you nothing, so the only thing you have to lose is your time, and you are already doing that on Facebook, so why not give it ago here.

Get Rick Quick

Sadly I have to say, that around this time there were many newcomers here who were looking for a get rich quick scheme, by using all of the old tricks that they'd used on all of the other social media networks. I feel that this tide of spam postings has subsided somewhat, as people started to find out Steemit isn't that simple. A vote here has no relationship to likes elsewhere. You have to build an audience up. 

Then came the crying, wailing (pun intended) and gnashing of teeth from the newcomers about how the whales have it rigged. "Its no different to the real world!" This maybe the internet, it maybe a social network, but behind it all, there are still humans interacting with each other. People are people. Somehow there is a fantasy that in internet land its all rainbows and unicorns. Nope. In fact, if you have a bit of technical knowledge, you can abuse the system even more. You only have to look at the tsunami of viruses and malware that abound today. And... so we see the rise of bots on Steemit. Automated attempts to game the system.

Down the Rabbit Hole

You know, I did start to follow the stories down these rabbit holes for a time, about the problems, issues and intrigues. But all the while I kept posting here on Steemit. Then I realised something. While there might all of this gaming the system going on, I'm quietly building my audience here on Steemit. I'm also discovering amazing people, projects and valuable information. Steemit IS working for me.

Make Steemit Work for You

I'm promoting my artwork and I'm earning from it. Yes, sometimes a nice amount, sometimes not so much. But I keep going. Think about that for a moment. WTF!!! With my Facebook page, I have to PAY to reach my audience. On Steemit, I am PAID to reach my audience. That is a major paradigm shift. But wait, that's not all! (Que late night TV steak knife advertisment voice over) I am also paid when I vote on other people's content, comment or share it. It's win win. It doesn't get much better than that... does it?

Yes it does. The best part of Steemit is the community that you can build here. Earning Steem is just the cherry on top.

If you're feeling a bit down, or challenged by trying to make your way on Steemit, I most heartly recommend you read Hiro Yamagishi's post about not giving up on Steemit.

The Future of Steemit

I do see a future for Steemit. I do think this evolutionary leap in social networking will inspire other projects. Yes, Steemit has some rough edges, but it is only a year old with much change and growth to come. 

Think about it, the internet started off in the 70s as military communications project. It wasn't until the mid 90s that world woke up to it. It took until roughly 2000 before it was expected that you had an email address. Then came the dotcom crash. Did the internet disappear into the glitch of virtual reality. No. It evolved. A university project started out in 2004 that went on to dominate the world to become one of the wannabe dictators of the internet, otherwise known as Facbook. Bitcoin started out in 2009. In 2010 two pizzas were bought for 10,000 Bitcoin. As of this week, seven years on, Bitcoin hit a high of $4000USD. Let all of that sink in as a bit of perspective, and then compare the timeline of Steemit. Andreas M. Antonopoulos gave an interview just on this topic and comparing the path of growth Facebook took to where Steemit is now.

If you're reading this article, now, August 2017, you're still just at the very beginnings of Steemit. There's much more to come.

I'm happy to have found Steemit, and start meeting you all. =)

Full Steem ahead!

My artwork can be found on my website. LeoPlaw.com
Or of course here on Steemit, so please follow for more.
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