Whales and Dragons
They have at least one thing in common, the worlds they inhabit, I hope you would agree, are richer for their existence. Steemit and the Steem economy are richer for the existence of our Whales. However, like Dragons, their influence is considerable when exerted, especially now, at the beginning of the adventure.
For make no mistake. Steemit is an adventure and we are most definitely at the beginning of it. Raw and exciting influences abound. In every moment, we are all in danger of being swept off our feet, at the mercy of hidden, raging currents......sorry, i'm getting carried away now. It's not quite that bad.
The point is, in this new world of Steem, everything is taking shape, coalescing. The technology, the rules, the culture, the people, everything. During this time, powerful influences are a necessity, part of the very fabric of the forming system. Entrenched, implacable, motivated, well funded behemoths, capable of building, capable of withstanding both external and internal, potentially malevolent threats and influences.
I think we can all agree that the more widely distributed SP is, the stronger and more valuable Steem will become. Maybe the faster that happens the better? Certainly for those producing quality and actively engaged who are struggling to make themselves heard and build a stake of their own. So what sensible things can we do to increase the rate of Steem redistribution in ways that align closely with the founding principals of Steemit and it's developing culture?
Well I've been racking by brains and I haven't come up with a single suggestion that isn't an affront doesn't cause someone, somewhere to lose out unfairly. It is either very difficult or I'm just not smart enough.....probably a bit of both. For example, I was thinking of things like....
....siphoning off some of the reward fund and creating a pool of SP that could be awarded to thousands of minnows and dolphins (after a certain period of time....like 3 months) who were identified as fabulous Steemers. Ok, but would it be fair to change the reward architecture so much, how would the accounts be identified, what about those who just missed out. Not fair right? Bad idea.
....how about everyone with over a certain threshold of SP or more just gives away 10% each and the pool of SP is given to all those fabulous minnows and dolphins? Well what if you are just either side of the threshold, how would you get 100% consensus and again, how do you identify the minnows and dolphins? Again, not fair. Bad idea.
I wrestled with loads of different possibilities, none of them stand up to much scrutiny. Perhaps there are more simple or more complex ways of accomplishing a more rapid, yet fair redistribution of Steem. If there are, I can't figure them out. Maybe you can. I suspect though, that the only way to do this is the way it is being done already.....small, careful, measured adjustments to the reward algorithms, whales powering down and selling Steem, the gradual diversification of curation by whales and orca, being generous towards each other and maxing out our credit cards to secure a fat SP stake while the price is good. JOKE.
Ultimately, the fact that we seem to be craving SP is a potent testament to the architecture of this new world we've chosen to inhabit and build. I think it bodes well for the future of Steemit & Steem. Let's always be mindful of how we use our SP and it's influence, lest the mythology of Dragons is supplanted by stories of Whale hoards and Whale sickness. Wealth is a means to an end. To what ends will the wealth of Steemers be put? It will be interesting to find out!
Happy Steeming.