Well, I'm here. The problem with that statement is that I'm not really sure where "here" is, but I'll get to that later. I was sold the idea that Steemit is a "blockchain based social network" so I figured I would give it the good ol' college try.
First, I would like to begin by explaining my relationship to social media. I hate it. Yea it's pretty much that simple. I've had all of them at some point in time, and I've deleted every single social media account except for Twitter (which is probably going in the next few weeks). Facebook was a sea of idiots being manipulated in the largest psychological experiment of all time, Snapchat was the most annoying goddamned platform I have ever used, Instagram is nothing but a pool of self absorbed assholes and narcissists. So one by one I removed myself from the social media space all together. So why try Steemit? Well I'm interested in block chain technologies and I'm always willing to try new things.
Enter Steemit.
First Impressions
My first impression was not the best. After signing up for an account, I waited over two weeks to finally be approved to access the network. Immediately this seemed like a red flag. If this indeed was a social network, then this was a massive barrier to entry. However, I persisted and proceeded to set up my account.
The first thing you are greeted with when setting up an account is a master key, and Steemit makes it quite clear that you better never lose this. This was the moment I realized I had not signed up for a social media platform, but instead had signed up for a crypto wallet. Now, I'm not opposed to opening a crypto wallet for Steem, in fact I've done quiet well for myself investing in alt-coins over the past few years, but to sell the platform as social media, and then realize I was actually being sold something quite different is a bit of a bait and switch. I'll get back to the master key situation later, but I thought it was important to mention as part of my first impressions.
After setting up my profile, having to enter that massive key over half a dozen times to change my personal settings, and have the website freeze up equally as often, I was ready to explore. What I found however, was not so much a social media, or even blogging platform, but essentially a crypto forum. My initial news feed was empty, which is not great for the on-boarding experience, and the trending tab was the same nonsense articles from every other crypto site. It wasn't really anything different.
I know it seems like I'm bitching, and frankly I kind of am. Why? Because I think it's important to come at this platform as a standard user. I could easily come at this from a pro cryto investment aspect and use this to build my portfolio, make connections in the community ect ect, but there are dozens of better places to do that, each with a much lower barrier to entry and a more engaging platform. The reason I am coming at this platform as someone who knows nothing, is because this platform is being sold to people as a social network. It's only a social network in the most basic of terms.
What needs to be fixed
Let me preface this section by explaining what I mean by "needs to be fixed". For a platform to grow, especially one with an economy built in, you need new users. You have to have new members, new money, new talent coming to your platform, and it has to be engaging enough to keep them around. This is what I am focused on. Again, I am coming at this from the perspective of a layman, from the perspective of a "no-nothing" who wants to get away from Facebook and the rest of the nonsense and find somewhere they can exist online and be treated like a human being.
First off, the password system needs to change. I understand because this is essentially a crypto wallet, that is probably impossible or at the very least, very insecure, but let's be honest. In order to gather in new money from less knowledgeable people, you have to have a password system that can be remembered easily.
Secondly, the platform has a terrible way of on-boarding new users. The wall of text FAQ that you are greeted with is not an engaging experience and sets the expectation that the entire system is going to be obtuse. Honestly, the platform is pretty well streamlined all things considered, it just does a terrible job explaining itself to a new user.
Third, from spending some time around the site it seems that there's really not a cut and dry way to make money. Once you realize what the platform is, and if you come to the platform expecting to be paid for writing, you won't be. The platform is a circle jerk from start to finish. It exists to increase the value of its currency, but beyond that, it doesn't really reward writing the way it pretends to, and that's fine, if it was explained properly and honestly at the beginning. Selling someone on the idea that they could make bank writing on this new social network platform is a lie, and the developers have to change their marketing if they want to retain and gain new talent and users.
Conclusion
If you want to gain users, you have to attract and retain incredible talent. This is definitely not a traditional social network, and frankly that is completely fine, IF it had the content to sustain itself. It does not. If the content on this platform was engaging, well written, informative, and something you could ONLY find here, then it would explode as a platform regardless of all obtuse programming issues.
I understand the biggest argument against this will be "you haven't spent enough time here yet to make a judgement" but I can honestly say I've spent more time than the average layman would, and I have found nothing compelling enough to keep me here. Will I stay on Steemit? Absolutely. Why? Because I like bleeding edge technology, because I'm a writer, and because I believe there is something here. I will say, it will die a slow and painful death if something is not done to make this a more engaging platform.
End Rant.