So i saw some tweets yesterday about whales/orcas complaining about how steem is been exploited. A few think rewarding end-users does nothing for steem.
She has already highlighted some of the points i will be making today but I am going to narrow things down to my own experience (on steem) because that's the only thing i can really account for.
I came on steem to earn. That was/is the incentive to blog here and i have learnt a few things about steem, blockchain technology, etc earning steem, even gone as far as buying steem at some point. I knew about bitcoin and litecoin before i joined steem but never bought any or took interest in them. Cryptocurrency has and probably will be too technical for the average person. The point i am trying to make is, without the incentive to earn i won't be here because it was hard having to learn all i know now to navigate my way around here. In fact, a lot of people aren't here anymore because of the simple fact that the chance of earning has become less. Those who really care about creating content can easily opt for other established platforms with larger user-bases were they can be discovered. You've heard about creative individuals cashing or being discovered from YouTube, Twitter, even tic toc that just recently launched. These platforms are free and somehow people have been able to commercialize the exposure they get on them. At some point, i was getting a lot of engagement on Twitter. Who knows if i had been consistent i might have become an influencer. Like i said a lot of people are opting for these established platforms while steem serves as a backup for their content if they care that much. That is the thing, we don't want to be just an option people (content creators) rarely considered. Yes, you can talk about the other components of the system blockchain but majorly steem is a content-based blockchain. That is its uniqueness. An ordinary individual who knows little or nothing about cryptocurrency or blockchain technology can sign up here and have an impact by creating content. And that's the message i think we should be passing. Yes, steem might not make you a million but it can help your brand and earn you some money in the process. The trending page doesn't say that; how steem is been distributed doesn't reinforce the idea--that you can build a brand here; that you can commercialize your influence/attention.
I think one of the problems has been distribution --how the reward pool is being utilized. The EIP hasn't done much in solving that problem. The trending page isn't any better. I think the whole intent of the EIP was to tackle abuse and not to reward the end-users who keep things active here. The whole downvote drama has kind of died down now and we are worse off really. That's not something a lot of us want to hear but it is true. People are earning lesser than they were because of the EIP and that has affected their enthusiasm towards steem. Well, except you're willing to post 3-4 posts a day and have a couple of whales/orcas auto vote you then you're really getting nothing out of the steem pie. And what does that do for your brand or your pocket? Nothing. People forget that there is a cost for being here. Being on steem will cost you one or all of the following: time, money, creativity/ideas. Another assumption is that many people post for free but in reality, no one does without expecting something in return. It's transactional. You're trading your pictures for likes; your ideas or thoughts for feedback, it is never for free. Here on steem people are willing to forgo likes, comments, attention for upvotes (steem), that is the compensation for choosing steem rather than WordPress, medium or twitter. However, i do not want to get fixated on things issues regarding steem's distribution. If i want more out steem I should play the game, but i am unwilling to--not anymore, so i am fine with what i have or can get.
Earning makes steem fun. The more you have here the higher your chances of staying. But more than earning, we need more people here and those who are already here active again. Whether you like it or not people will leave. I know a bunch of dedicated steemians who are passive investors and content creators now. Some have found new interests; some are no longer enthusiastic about cryptocurrency. The only way to salvage the situation is by having new and fresh content creators join the blockchain. So rather than worry about who is earning what and how to let's focus on getting people here. And it doesn't necessarily revolve around steem. If you are an awesome content creator and you're putting your work out there, engaging with the various communities, in and outside steem, you belong to. This i believe will have a positive impact on steem.
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