Maybe you have noticed in my previous post about a python library which I've developed for SteemConnect, a reference to SteemProjects which I currently working on.
What SteemProjects is going to be?
Well... as could describe it as a public directory of all Steem apps and tools, but...
... but I believe that such description is not telling the whole story.
Today I would like to very briefly describe why I am working on this project and what this project is going to be. I believe, that if you will understand my goal, then you will be able to understand a vision behind SteemProjects.
1. I want to help users to find best tools for their needs
Steem for me is a freedom of choice. I do not need to use Steemit to take advantage of all best features of Steem blockchain. There are so many alternatives build on top of Steem, like Busy, chainBB, Steemiz, eSteem, and many many others. But which is the best?
Of course, for every user, there can be a different answer because we are all different. I would like to give a tool to people, which would provide a comparison of selected features.
2. I want to improve communication between Steem users and Steem Apps Developers
How many times have you encountered an application which was not bad, but would be much better if it only had one more feature? Users should not only have a place, where they can write their suggestions, but those place should be also easy to manage. The developer should be aware how important particular feature is to users. Users should be able to vote on those suggestions, and those suggestions should be gathered in one place.
You may think about this as something that would also have a role of uservoice for Steem applications:
3. I want to make more visible the greatest asset of Steem: Community!
Steem is a great piece of technology, but it would be worth nothing without the people which are a part of it. I am a software developer and nowadays people like me very often work in teams with a Scrum Master. 2 years ago, I had a pleasure to work with Iza, which was a scrum master of our team back then. I remember when once after a demo for a client on a retrospection she tried to explain to us, how we can increase the satisfaction of our client from our development.
The conclusion was simple: it doesn't matter how great your work is if you are unable to present the result of it to your client, in the best possible way.
I want to show to the world, how many great Steem projects are out there and provide a data about how hard our community is working to increase its value.
4. I would like to see Steem Applications which are looking good and have a great design and UX
I am a software developer and I am a terrible graphic designer. Nevertheless, I believe that good design of the application is a way to respect users. Very often applications are looking bad not because the author of them do not want them to make prettier, but because he does not have a skills - like me - to change that.
Software Development is a team game. If you want to create something great and you want to do it fast it is much better to have a team of people which are working together to achieve a common goal. But finding a perfect team-mate is very often extremely difficult.
I believe, that we need a directory of developers, graphic designers, testers and different specialist with a proven record of work, which could be used by all projects as a database of potential new team members. If you need a graphic designer who knows Steem very well, why not first just take a look at people who already worked on different Steem project?
There are projects which I am in love with, and I would like to be notified about every progress which those projects made. I would like to know what are the most beloved Steem projects.
5. I want to help to show what is going on under the hood
Value of Steem network grows in two cases: when Steemians do not want to sell STEEM below market price, or when new investors want to buy STEEM above market price. In both cases people need to make a decision, whether STEEM is a good investment for near/long future.
It is important how Steem ecosystem looks right now, but for many people (including me) it is more important how it will look like in upcoming weeks and months.
I would like to show to the people how active developers of all Steem projects are. People should now, that something is coming if something is under heavy development.
6. I would like to help build awareness how important it is to have open-source projects
Let's face it. An average Joe or even average Steem user probably do not know what an Open-Source is. I believe, that every Steem project should be open source, because:
Without that, it is almost impossible to examine the security of particular project (we do not want users to lose funds!
Remember this?
....
If this project would not be open-source, some people could lose a lot of money.Some projects are abandoned, and nothing is left
Remember this?
...
This app was never created, despite receiving 10k in rewards. If this project would be open source, then at least someone else could help or in worst case scenario, create a new project using parts of this project.Open-source projects are developed much faster because everyone can help.
Every open-source steem project is another example which is very useful to new developers. I like to learn from examples. Do you?
On SteemProjects website I would like to let people know, that is is much better for Steem Community when a project has open sources.
7. I would like to give developers another way to monetize their projects
Steem is great because thanks to Reward Beneficiaries features a lot of interfaces of Steem have a way to monetize their projects. This is great for projects which actually helps users publish something (a post or a comment), but many other apps try to help a user in a different way.
90% of Steem projects cannot use this monetization method. Developing a good project takes time and tons of money. It is much less likely, that developer will start working on a project if there will be no way to at least cover cost of development.
Of course, a developer can (and should in my opinion) write frequent updates about the project and he can be reworded from those posts, but the problem is, that such posts need to compete with all other kinds of posts. Steemit does not provide a tool to follow more strongly a particular account, like youtube does.
8. I would help create accountability of developers
Not everyone is a developer, some people might be wondering why some Steem projects creators are receiving so big rewards for their work. But to be honest, do we really know, how much they got for writing about those projects? Nope, we don't.
There is nothing bad, to reward someone for decent work and I would like to create a place, where information about how much particular project or a developer received, would be easy to view.
Actually I believe, that such tool could be also a great thing for advertising a Steem to new skilled programmers.
SteemProjects is under development, but it will be released soon. Please follow my account, if you don't wan't to miss an information about a release.
If you are a developer and you would like to see your application listed there, please write to me on steemit.chat, you will receive early access to alpha version and you will be able to add your application on your own, and all information about it.