I was asked to today if I would continue posting if I knew I would never earn again on Steem due to downvoting and, the answer would be an emphatic yes. However, I do not really think that would ever be the case as eventually, even the most active downvoting account would move on one way or another. However, I also think that SMTs are going to disenfranchise any of the whales and large accounts who have decided to take the less than the ecosystem-friendly path.

But, even if I couldn't earn on my posting, would I still buy Steem?

Definitely.

The thing is that even without being able to earn it for "free" from posting, when it comes to the crypto marketplace of ideas, there are very few projects out there that have the same potential for delivering on their value proposition. Whichever way you look at our future lives and the role that the internet will play in it, social and content delivery is not going to disappear, nor is our desire and demand to consume digital material.

We are evolving. Steem is evolving.

As I said yesterday in a comment, one of the slogans for Steem should be;

Own the internet.

 

Because that is what we are heading toward here, a place, space, network, ecosystem and an economy that is owned, operated and governed by users; developers and contributors, investors and consumers who all own their experience and the choices they make with their stake. Stake will always be important on Steem, but when it comes to a lot of the earning tokens, it will be much less so, and just through sheer numbers, there will be plenty of opportunity for many people to take some ownership over their digital lives and grow their digital real estate.

It is because of this that the future of Steem looks so bright because the marketplace it is entering into is massively wide and encompasses the entire digital landscape, but due to the attributes of SMTs, can narrow extremely to a finely honed point that can target at the most granular levels. It is a general purpose blockchain that will in time become digital platform neutral as plugins and connectors are created to slide tokenization into near any experience.

Who wouldn't buy a little just in case?

Well, many. But perhaps that is because they think that they will do well enough earning it from the inflation pool without having to make a purchase and risk more than their time. Of course, some just can't afford to, fair enough - but I wonder how many can afford to but can't face the risk involved. For those who have IRL responsibilities, do not waste time you might not have trying to build on Steem, take care of your shit first.

Steem is a stretch goal and a long-term position, if you need money today, do whatever the fuck you need to do in order to get it, posting on Steem is unlikely your savior. However, if you do have the space and resources, consider hedging your bets in crypto and if you can't afford to spare capital to buy Bitcoin and hold for 10 years, earn a bit of Steem along the way and power that shit up.

Just in case.

As said, I would buy Steem and it isn't just because it is the crypto I know the most about and have spent 95% of my time, although I am sure that has a lot to do with it. There are plenty of projects out there promising all inds of "added value" to the world, but not many that are actually doing anything of note, and not many that have been able to attract much more than speculative investors.

Speculators do not give a fuck about use case or development, they only care about up and down and, in and out. They want to get in when down and get out when up. Pretty simple, and if Bitconnect is any indicator of the mindset at all, they do not care if it is an obvious Ponzi scheme, as long as they are not the ones holding the bags. Many will be left holding bags wondering;

how come my coin with no purpose whatsoever is worthless?

Why keep writing if I couldn't earn and only bought?

Isn't it obvious? Stake is a voice, it can be used to vote with and direct the flow of Steem, it can attract support, direct governance, command attention - but it isn't influential without having a hook to hang it upon. There is no point using staked voice to support the ecosystem by supporting shit content, useless words, empty minds unless they are the posts of influencers who are drawing attention of others, making it a place to feel good as a consumer, keeping asses in seats.

Stake is an influence but for me, my words are my voice and earn or not, I see that attempting to direct the course of the future has value for me and the community required to make Steem a healthy ecosystem that can support millions across tens f thousands of use cases and niche topics. There is value in reading a book, watching a movie, or listening to a podcast if rather than just a space filler, it affects change and a better, more useful and valuable position in this world.

If it doesn't change you, it failed the challenge.

That is not the actual quote most might use, but this is the thing with content. If a comedian fails to evoke a laugh from the audience, they failed to be a comedian at that time and, if a personal trainer fails to inspire a person to change, they failed at the personal trainer part. However, it is also a two-way street and it is always up to the audience whether change happens or does not. The presentation of a comedian can fall on deaf ears, the advice of a trainer fall on a body of sloth.

You can lead a horse to water.

Change is always personal, even when external pressure is applied and with every change we make, just like Steem, we are evolving into the person that we will later become. Some changes are for betterment, some for debasement, and while mistakes are made, some consistently choose poorly and this is especially true in a community where some always choose themselves of others, no matter who slight the cost may be to themselves or, how little the gain.

A scarcity mindset in a land of abundance.

No different to the megacorps who have no limit in the number of lines they will erase to get an extra dollar, to gain a sliver more advantage or a little more power over others to make themselves feel better about their own lack of what they desire. Like a man that goes to a prostitute and pays for control so as to "feel like a man" and then justifies it with some lame excuse to veil their neediness, insecurities and inability. Pathetic.

Do you see?

There is value in words, there is value in the discussion, even f the only discussion held is in the head. Someone can trawl through these words here and cherry pick lines to attack, another can do the same and find words that they will think about and create a gem from. Most will stay the same, some will change forever.

Any thing can inspire change in a person, a sunset, a child, the scene of atrocity or the fading voice of a lover lost. What changes is personal and individual and what is latched upon to inspire one to greatness, could be a cold knife to the heart that crushes another. Maybe your attitude is to your advantage, perhaps it is your ball and chain.

Earn or not, value is in abundance if you understand what you are looking at. Victim of nature or agent of evolution.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]