Conveniently locked out
For the first time I think in my life, I locked the SIM on my phone and had to request the PUK code from my provider. It was a bit silly and likely because I have only had a couple hours sleep so wasn't thinking, but a few weeks ago I changed my operator for the first time in 16 years and forgot I hadn't changed the SIM pin yet. I have additional security set up so even with the pin into the phone, it isn't able to be accessed.
The last time I heard of someone locking their phone and needing the PUK was a while ago and they spoke of the drama of requesting it, the wait on the line, the verification needed etc and I was expecting similar. Thankfully, it didn't take more than 30 seconds online to get the code I was after, even though the site was in Finnish. Not bad - fucking convenient.
Convenience is a major reason why crypto hasn't gone mainstream yet, because for most people, the time it takes to learn about how and where to buy, trading, trust and of course the security involved in order to keep it all safe is just too many hurdles. We live in a world where people login to things using a Facebook or google API. The hurdles into adoption is much like a rudimentary filter that sorts out those who are willing and able, and those who are unwilling and unable.
Steem is a bit different in this as the filter into crypto isn't applied at the get-go as anyone can sign up without transferring any fiat, having to use an exchange or worry about security. Of course, all of these things are required, it just isn't necessary during sign-up and testament to this is how many people do not heed the warning of "do not lose your keys", and subsequently, lost their keys.
However, because there isn't this high-hurdle as a preliminary filter, pretty much anyone can join up and get started in crypto without knowing much about anything and just treating it like any other social media. For the first time in a very long time, I saw a contributor on a platform get a comment of advice about rewards, and they had no idea that it was a crypto platform at all - they just wanted to post their content. That is pretty cool.
Of course, that is not going to be the gateway in for most users as it is the crypto side and earning potential that is going to attract the majority and once here, the immutability, censorship resistance, ownership model, enablement of others and the ability to forever tip with minimal upfront outlay.
I think that because of this lack of filter, the churn (of real people) can be quite high at this point as the industry and Steem platform is inconvenient and uncooked, while most people like to go to a restaurant and have the meal brought to their table. Steem is more a "here are the ingredients, there's the kitchen" kind of place rather than, "here's one we prepared earlier", like in infomercials.
Convenience is a huge factor for mass adoption of anything and I think that this is where the applications on SMTs are going to have an advantage, because they will be able to unboard into the full experience of Steem through narrow gates that are tailored for enduser adoption and, their specific audience in particular. It will be up to the application owners and designers to build for their userbase rather than having a one-size-fits-all solution that has been predominantly used til now.
This includes the configuration of the SMTs themselves as the way they are designed will dictate a lot of the interest in them and whether the application will get supported. A great application with a poor tokenization model will struggle, while a great tokenization model with a mediocre app could do very well. I think that this will be increasingly apparent in the next bullrun and especially if it coincides with global economic failures.
Once interest starts to develop in blockchain and crypto at the consumer level, more development will take place on the UI and UX levels to capitalize on the market potential for eyes and usage. Before this point, the filters have already been applied to skew the people involved, the ones that don't need convenience and don't need glitz - yet. The time will come though.
Nearly all of the infrastructure is in place for blockchain and crypto now through convenient smartphones and connections that allow for usage and transfer, but the time of the blockchain application is fast approaching and it will be through these that the people will arrive. There are already marketplaces built for Android and Apple to enable the spread of the applications and I wonder how long it will take before these marketplaces start taking a crypto cut of the application sales and earnings, rather than fiat.
While everyone is looking for a killer App, dApp or platform of some kind, there will be thousands created with each playing a role in spreading the technology and making it familiar to see, use and therefore - convenient.
Just after the first viral app, many more will follow.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
You're really one of those people wondering why ignorance exists and how to cure it. You might not like what you'll find down that road...
There is no cure for many people, but perhaps some will wake up. When it comes to early adoption however, there are people who are suited, people who are not and no matter the opportunity, most will miss it.
I don't worry much about what I find down roads until I find it. There is far too much unknown to predict all outcomes.
you should be grateful a private phone company takes security for a security code seriously!
hey ackza, have a !BEER
you should be grateful a private phone company takes security for a security code seriously!
im happy about this and getting more phone company blockchain securty
ATt + eos and telos
They tend to be relatively tech security conscious in this neck of the woods.
Most people just have a life build on empiric experience and dependent on long term growing systems.
What really makes their life within society strong is the common ethos and that also happens to be the natural enemy of any paradigm shifts. They don't go conquer new continents while they get upset reading the news, fly on vacation trips and have more answers than questions on every topic there is.
Their era has to die with them, as Facebook seems to die with the Millennials and a new generation of unteachable clever clogs will emerge and colonize the web 3.0, all by themselves.
Yep, the world is changing but those who invest in early tend not to be the young as while they might take risks, they have very little capital. On Steem, no capital needed to start investing.
I find the young these days more end user and consumer, than creator. Those do start to generate early will do well above average.
The exception makes the normal. For an exceptional person, age has a very different meaning. They challenge not only life, but they also challenge themselves as well.
I believe more young people than ever are willing to create, that is also what I did experience lately in my personal environment and by hanging around in the www. Trillions of posts every day speak for themselves and Socialblade shows 32.3M YouTube Creators 2019, lot's of them are very 'young'.
It is the differentiation of content matter that I question, the competitive advantage. There are always going to be some percentage of exceptional, risk takers and divergent thinkers
The ability to restore the Puk is great. However it represents centralized control and a huge security risk. Many have had binance and other exchanged and banks hacked due to lax security of SIM providers
It is odd that you take comfort in this procedure being simplybamd convenient.
In Steem's case you need to know your previous code and contact your account creator in 30 days. Limited recovery is possible.
Alternatively, you can always trust me with your keys, or store them on an encrypted zip file on a usb pr paper...
I don't, it was meant to be somewhat ironic, hence the, fucking convenient.
I will post them here in the next comment.
yes.
That's good, didn't catch the irony right away.
I really wish companies would allow us to refuse this to be possible except in person.
If you find someone's wallet and phone it's just too easy in most cases. Sometimes you don't even need either, you just gotta be sure they are unable to answer their phone at the moment.
Here it is usually through bank sign-in codes, which are one off use - or authenticator apps.
If that is the case, the majority will remain very small. We won't be able to attract millions and promise them meaningful rewards and keep that promise. It would be mathematically impossible. Steem will be brought to the masses as an SMT implementation on a site they're already using, as have written. They will suddenly have an option to use some kind of funny tokens that can be traded for other tokens on the internal STEEM market and on Steem-Engine. They will not think of them as potential for any significant earning but perhaps as something like loyalty points or instruments of gamification of their experience of whatever the platform they're using.
I don't see the conflict.
SMTs can be configured in multiple ways and can be used in multiple ways, one of which you described which brings them onto Steem - the blockchain. They will see them as an earning potential though and more so if in combination with an economic collapse that drives people to look for new revenue streams to supplement, even if it is to reduce the costs of centralized entertainment like Netflix. The models and gateways are endless in detail, but the funnels in are going to be through various applications with tokenization integrated.
Ownership of experience is going to be the number one retention factor I think.
The fiat value of STEEM and the various SMTs will have to come from somewhere. There will have to be enough people willing and capable of buying the tokens. If the economy collapses, I don't think a lot of people will have the means to buy the tokens to keep their prices high.
Geez! PUK code ... that gave me a serious flashback! We used to get it printed on a card that came with the SIM itself. I remember saving those in my wallet because I am aware of what happens if I lost those dang codes.
Yep, it is rare to even think that much about it these days :)