Hi folks,

Some of you may have read my post STEEMPEAK - A First-Look (ex?)-Steemit User Review Of Some Features which was about SteemPeak.com, a front-end alternative user interface to Steemit.com for interacting with the STEEM blockchain.

I was excited and blogged my first impressions the day I became aware of SteemPeak, without having used it much, and without having done any reading into and around it - discussions, user feedback, discord, posts and development Hive account@steempeak. I've done some of that now and have come across a few posts and videos that collectively do an excellent job of presenting what this exciting new alternative to our beloved ol' granny, Steemit.com, has to offer. I link them below.

I know that one can get set in one's ways, and that the thought of change can elicit a groan when having to consider new ways of doing familiar things. If this is you, and all the more so if you are sentimentally attached to Steemit.com, then please consider the following before making up your mind. This is not a sales job, I'm just sharing a tool that I think could make the Blockchain Boogie a lot more fluent - more visual, efficient and rewarding for you. You know that the STEEM blockchain and the steemit.com user interface are two entirely different things right? I'm sure you do, please forgive my arrogance 😌.

Willing to hear me out? Just two points!

Firstly

From what I have read and understood, the development of the Steemit.com user interface and functionality is not a priority for Steemit Inc (discussion thread and discussion thread). You will not be betraying beloved Steemit by flirting with another user interface. The perpetual beta stage of development is intentional - it is really not going anywhere ok! This is not mean, but rather done in order to leave this space open to developers, while Steemit Inc. concentrate on SMTs and whatever else. In this space - as need and demand arise - would be room for alternative, more expanded ways of interacting with the STEEM blockchain. Complexity comes with responsibility - Stinc would rather someone else shoulder that burden. Alternatives to Steemit exist already, like busy.org. Some take a percentage of earnings, levying a tax of sorts - but not SteemPeak (discussion thread and discussion thread).

In my opinion, the step-up in quality of experience (especially for someone who has only used steemit.com) is so great, that it is worth writing a second post about, and worth encouraging anyone who reads this to at least check it out - and also to consider putting aside any misplaced Steemit sentimentality - at least for the duration.

Secondly

I have already blogged my first impressions of SteemPeak, so I'm not going to do another feature review. I love the portfolio and other enhanced options for presenting/viewing photographic posts; the organising possibilities of being able to tag and create multiple templates and drafts; bookmarks - including users and topics in addition to posts. There are many other subtle and useful features for the user to discover. Instead of describing all of this myself, I am linking to posts and videos which will do a much better job of presenting the SteemPeak interface and features - from the horse's mouth too :D.

Do pleeeze - for your own sake - consider taking a look at the material below. As you do so, it would be useful to be aware of your own workflow on Steemit - the manner in which you currently interact with the blockchain, the steps you go through to author, curate, read, view and sort. As you see the increased options and new possibilities available in an interface like SteemPeak, consider what this accelerated functionality - as you are taken through the features in the videos - could do for your own user experience. I don't think there is a particular need to judge or compare, maybe just flow with the experience (something I found delightful).

• 6min video: Why I Love SteemPeak.com - a quick feature run-through comparing it to Steemit and Busy; by Hive account@roundbeargames
• Overview of features: 20 Solild Reasons to Steem on SteemPeak by Hive account@jarvie, one of the developers.
• The developers Hive account@asgarth, Hive account@jarvie, Hive account@r00sj3, Hive account@steempeak are hands on with the user community, very approachable and active. Here's another post by Hive account@jarvie, with a video run-through of a series of updates. It's an excellent (over)view of SP's features in action. If you've only really had experience of steemit.com, prepare to be utterly blown away :). And these are the early days!

You know, they say that if you have been carrying a rucksack full of heavy stones all your life, then - as a result of habit and adaptation, you may not even be aware of the weight, or that there may be other ways of going about things. As a result of always having carried this load, there is little, or no experience of the enhanced movements that being unrestricted by such heaviness would allow - it may be that one can touch toes or wrap legs around one's own shoulders after all!!! Habits and familiarity (even if clumsy and inefficient), the security of known patterns - here are some of these stones in the Steemniverse. The range of movements available to the user of steemit.com is simply a restricted subset of what is possible, useful, desireable and now available. This kinda makes sense right? Steemit has been extremely useful and we can thank it from the bottom of our hearts in sincere gratitude. However, it has now been superseded by others and there is no shame, harm or violence in acknowledgement and acceptance of this.

Eventually and inevitably, the User Experience will move beyond the great experimental prototype that steemit.com is and forever will be. Nobody is offended, nobody need be upset or feel guilty, there is no usurping going on. Why not dip a couple of toes in, if you don't like the feel of these new waters, well that's fine too and something more suitable for you will come along - but at least check it out, no? How long did it take for you to switch to a SMART phone from a regular one? What was your first reaction to the thought? This is much easier and you can still go back and forth (as I do)!

I'm not a hyper-upper and I earlier on claimed not to be doing a 'sales job', yet I find myself cheerfully going blue in the face trying to get you to look in the direction I am pointing. This says a lot!

Thanks for reading (and turning your head? :)

Peace to all of you brothers and sisters,
🚣