Quit the B.S.
So you want unique readers, we get it. You want clicks, steempower, bitcoins, whatever it may be. You want paying subscribers to line your own pocket. The truth is: there's no real value in fear-mongering. Doesn't matter if the content is on Steemit, 4chan, CNN, or Infowars -- I'm always told that some big disaster or crash is looming in the distance, but never hear any viable solutions. This is why Trump is seeing so much success: he feeds the public juicy, tantalizing click-bait. His actual words are nothing more than crafted babble and newspeak unlike anything we've heard in politics. But, we hear it all the time on the internet! Don't perpetuate this mindset with shallow posts that only serve to tickle a reader's apocalyptic fantasies and gain you subscribers. How about proposing something useful, anything, that might start a discussion about how to solve or mitigate these scenarios.
On that note, say you're right - everything is going to collapse, and SOON. Thanks for the rehashed warning, but what's going to replace the old system? You may not know for sure, but Steemit is a great place to start. After a major societal collapse, some type of cutting edge technology or concept will have to rise to the occasion and create order. Cryptocurrency and the block-chain are great candidates, but as quickly as new tech can be created, the old power structure hijacks it. As history goes, whoever controls the resources of their time holds the reigns of civilization.
So What?
So let's beat the shot-callers in a different way, fear-mongering and greedy sensationalism aside. If and when it all collapses, while the value of paper money rapidly depletes, the value of networks and knowledge will grow exponentially.
The Solution
Steemit is good, but it reads just like any other feed-based site that relies on citizen journalism. It needs a little je ne sais quoi to help it fully blossom.
In a downfallen world, you would want to have a strong network of trusted people in your immediate area. Add a proximity feature to Steemit. Make it discreet, associate it with private groups, whatever needs to happen to facilitate conversations and dialogue in a proximity based fashion between like minded individuals before "the end" occurs. Maybe have each user voluntarily ping a GENERAL location, even state-by-state would be acceptable.
Reddit has flair to distinguish skills or features unique to an individual user. That's too narcissistic and pointless. We are talking about a worst case scenario where being alone means you are a walking meat target. Setup a Steemguild system; people who have certain skills like coding, farming, cooking, hackers, electricians, bankers, scientists, salesman, anyone, can join a guild that aligns with their skill and mindset. Create a network of small real life communities. Make it exclusive, maybe even private, and have some standard of entry e.g. an aptitude test, task, riddle, chess game, puzzle relevant to the discipline. Each guild would have unique entry criteria. Sure, you can still surf and use Steem without being part of a guild.
Encourage individual guilds to nominate content to be released to Steemit as a whole. This will prevent low effort posts, odd posts, random off topic shit from plaguing the reputation of Steemit. By no means am I suggesting censorship, I'm suggesting level-headed curation. Consider it a blade that cuts right to the good stuff. A great example of this filter is the meta posts about Steemit itself -- the collaboration and group mindset of these Steemers produce some of the platforms most interesting articles.
Argue. Call me an idiot, say it won't work, read one sentence then move on, deconstruct my every word because I do care about what you have to say. I will continue developing and posting possible solutions to empower my fellow pleebs, the working class, and the dissolving middle class. Whatever you do, start finding solutions and stop disseminating the same information repetitively.
Let's Hear Yours
That was my four step plan, I bet you can do better (hint: it should include neither ??? nor "profit"). It's time to setup a subversive infrastructure by and for the people. We have the technology to hear each individual concern of everyday working people and we have the power to collaborate in a professional and proactive manner. We can apply old-world academic (economic, scientific, mathematical) principles, the same principles that created the 1%, through the lens of superior networking technology. We have the numbers. Do you have the stones?