I am going to take a cautious guess and say you have found yourself intrigued and inspired by the rise of cryptocurrencies – the power of decentralization, the amazement with security and the wonders made possible by the blockchain technology. I am furthermore going to assume that you, like me, frantically signed up on Steemit within the past month or two after realizing just exactly what Steemit is trying to do. So far so good? I am moreover going to conclude that you have been watching Steemit closely ever since signing up – taken aback and marveled by what you see; the vast amount of possibilities now made possible by the very technology you have adored for years beaming a delightful, ever-present sense of excitement.
You have witnessed individuals – people just like yourself – rise to unprecedented payouts which heavily trumps what even some of the most established content creators on other platforms can only dream of. You have seen first-hand the power of Steemit and why we can become the platform passionate content creators fighting an uphill battle on other platforms, i.e. YouTube, have been praying for through years. And, perhaps most excitingly, you are already a part of this platform!
But, and there is always a but, what now?
We, the community of Steemit, face a great range of challenges (and an equal range of opportunities and options!), and whilst the platform remains in infancy stages and arguably experiences way more traffic than likely anticipated at beta stage, we are inevitably shaping the very foundation of what Steemit will become.
We are experiencing a large influx of new users and thus an almost exponentially acceleration of content being published. Or, in some situations, reposted. This stream of content is what new users experience and what undeniably heavily influences their first impression. The most pressing challenge thus becomes how we ensure people visiting Steemit for the first time are left inspired, excited and eager to contribute themselves?
The incentives to produce, publish, comment and upvote are all present. As are the temptations to repost content which worked previously on other platforms or quickly create a mock-up hoping for a quick buck. This mentality is harmful to our community. Not because the self-regulating system powered by our shared voice and upvotes – a system which I remain confident will filter out the futile submissions – should somehow fail, but because we risk drowning the quality content in the process.
And, as a consequence, risk discouraging genuine creators from trying again or even trying in the first place. It is therefore paramount that filtering, increased customization and similar features are implemented as soon as possible in an effort of controlling and curating the stream of content. Similarly, and I commented this elsewhere too, we must be the change we want to see. We all have a voice in shaping this platform. Using our voice wisely with good intentions and a firm focus on quality will directly help Steemit flourish and unleash its full potential.
It has been a very long time since I have seen such a strong sense of excitement and genuine willingness to make something succeed like the one I am seeing on Steemit. It is blatantly obvious that we not only have been presented with the groundbreaking platform we knew could be created, but also happen to be surrounded and attract even more dedicated, skilled and seasoned users with the means necessary to boost Steemit even further.
So, to return to my title and original question, what now?
Contribute. Create. Write passionately about what interests you. Write about what matters to you and what happens in your life, allow the world a glimpse inside and let it share your joy or support you. Upvote quality content. Comment and let people know you appreciate their work. Give feedback and suggestions. Spread the word and invite your friends to the next big thing.
In other words.
Steem on.