What Makes Steem Standout? Random thoughts..
There are hundreds of crypto-currencies that all think they are going to be Bitcoin when they grow up. We have a product that has proven to be user-friendly to mainstream users. How many people figured out how to buy and sell bitcoins and get this funny digital cash from place to place where it can be utilized? How many of those people only learned to either put money in or money out, because they came to steemit?
We have passionate end-users who are mad over the state of the platform, who want to go somewhere else, but they don't have any place to go. It is a business person's dream, it is a blockchain's dream. (do blockchain's dream?)
People in this community tend to refer to SteemIt as a social media site, and thus compare us to the competition. (Facebook, etc) That isn't who we are competing against. We are competing against Doge, Dash, ETH, and other "Alt-coins", most of them have a niche or something they are trying to prove.
With all the talk of community based marketing, what is our story?
Why is Steem better than the community knows? SteemIt has created an economy where kids and Grandparents are moving money around using Steem as their tool. There is a desire for more steem and the ability to quickly learn how to manage it.
MOST OF THE CONFLICT RIGHT NOW IS CAUSED BY PERSONALITIES NOT FLAWS IN THE PRODUCT.
So here we are, real humans in our digital forms messing up this product.
Let me try to mediate for a minute.
To the witnesses and whales - the end-users are good they are concerned about their time and money and emotional investments, just like you are. A 10% loss (just used 10% no reason or math) is a 10% loss to everyone whether you have a million or 100. Passionate users are a good thing. They are adding volume to the currency and becoming educated about crypto, some of you are not being wise when you think and say, that you want to get rid of the end-users. Some have put real money in and others are in wait and see mode. While businesses recognize they lose their early adopters, this project just isn't at that point yet. You have a success story here, I know it is hard to see it, but at this time word of mouth or crowd sourced marketing is what we are going to get. If it is well organized, I think it could be very effective.
What if the community felt respected and valued? There are studies that show people want to be respected and valued more than they want money.
To the End-Users - The whales and witnesses are trying to build something that can stand the threshold of time in a really competitive market of blockchains and coins. It needs to be adjusted and changed, and they need to have that flexibility. There are going to be bumps in the road. It has been clearly stated that it is an experiment. If you are trying to make a living on this platform, that is a really high risk thing to do. If you can handle the risk emotionally and financially more power to you, but don't expect it to be the same tomorrow as it is today. Sometimes in life you get flagged and sometimes it isn't fair. (That doesn't mean any normal human being wants to watch people be targeted)
To SteemIt Inc. - Communication would help with the tension, misinformation and "educated guesses". Since you do have newbies in the space who are coming from Facebook and such, maybe some education or at least communication would be great. (I see that you are trying to head down that path) Post some updates once in while about what is being considered for the next hardfork, tell us what is going on with the reward pool. Take a picture of your office once in a while tell a cute work story. Help us to see SteemIt, Inc. is a group of real people who are also interested and involved in growing, tweaking and working on the investment we all have made.
To Everyone: In most business environments people work for less during the start-up phase, because you are working for the outcome the end result and effort is the investment. Money comes later.
For 9 months I have been hanging around asking everyone, "What is the value of Steem?". I keep saying it will take off when most people can answer that question. What is the value of Steem?
- The Technology - this is often the answer I get. I assume it means that it is fast, user friendly and well designed.
- So easy a GMA can (mine) earn it, transfer it and spend it.
- It is consensus based (okay we are still working on it)
- It comes with it's own communication and education platform
- There are real life people using it
- YOU ADD A FEW
If marketing chooses to they can find some great stories in the community, and paint a picture of a digital cash system so simple GMA's and kids can mine it. Or The Digital Cash for real people. Or Everyone's Crypto. Isn't that what DASH and others are trying to achieve?
Most of this is my personal ramblings, but one thing I know, Time and Technology don't wait for personality issues.
Steem - Tag line - (What would you use for the tag line?)
Feel free to add your thoughts on the value in the comments.
Thank you for writing this... awesome-- resteemed!
The thing about Steemit is that we have something very few of the alt coins have: "Differentiation." That is, we have a "story" that's different from all of theirs. It starts with the "soft entry point" into the crypto market... easy and understandable for most people on the street.
Because of that, we have the opportunity to "add features" that makes this even more alluring to potential newcomers.
We're actually better than the other alt coins because we have this social content platform, and more stuff in the works. But were also better than Facebook, Medium and twitter because we have our own currency that works just like money, and they don't.
Maybe these are just your "private ramblings," but they are super important because you-- and I, and lots of others-- represent the user base here; the people who can actually drive Steemit forward. As I keep saying "code" doesn't build communities, people do.
I like your addition of adding the benefits we have over the social media platforms as well.
I was able to write this because I was reading the "others" marketing, and I kept thinking. We meet that requirement, we have that feature... etc.
Steemit has been a gateway into the cryptocurrency and blockchain world for me. I knew it existed but had no idea where I fit in that world. I think the reason why I don't look very hard other places to blog is because I consider Steemit as a community before I think of it as currency. Any other place is alt coin first and it's hella hard trying to find their social aspect. I am motivated by networking and helping people; not so much risk v. reward in a digi-coin exchange game.
I knew bitcoin was out there. I mined it once for a day.. lol. I didn't know there was this whole "Alt game" and I probably wouldn't have bought my first bitcoins without first trying to figure out how one would invest here.
The gateway Crypto! Love it.
My tragic bitcoin story is that maybe about 6 or 7 years ago I was in a chatroom and there was a group of guys saying they would give away 5 BTC. It wasn't the first time. I was approached SEVERAL times. All I had to do was open a digital wallet. I thought I was being scammed for information so I said no. Holy sheee-it do I regret that. LOL When Stellar came around I was in the first distribution. I never knew what to do with it until I joined Steemit. I am pretty sincere when I say Steemit is the gateway crypto!
5 BTC omg!
Right?!? If I knew then what I know now I would have opened up a wallet and trolled all the tech geeks who were giving away BTC! sigh
Steemit - Where Everything Is Made Up But The Points DO Matter
I really enjoyed this! Thank you for the smile.
As someone new on the platform (joined this week), this is very interesting. I'm keen to see what debate develops here in the comments and hopefully I can learn a thing or two about the platform from it. Thanks!
Welcome to steem. We have some big personalities. ;) Great tech. I gave you a follow.
Hi @whatsup, I just stopped back to let you know your post was one of my favourite reads and I included it in my Steemit Ramble. You can read what I wrote about your post here.
"Whether its an inch or a mile, winning is still winning." - Dom (Fast and Furious Anthology)
Nice.
STEEM - Value Your Time ? Not very good with this..
What's GMA by the way?
Grandma... :)
@urmokas
Straight to the point. Thank you for putting it in words!
I respect your views on nearly everything I have heard you say. So, thank you for the read and the comment.
I also passed on the part for steemit.com
They promised better communication, this time for real, a month ago.
It needs to happen.
I think that communication is a big factor...perhaps the marketing guys could have a 'sticky' thread or category on the trending page or somewhere for current updates.
I completely agree. If people show up and something is different, we don't even know where to look.
Okay, the reward pool issue. Continued updates on what happened, why and how the "refill" is going would be great. I happened to hear an update, but I don't know if it is accurate or not...
Follow, up, resteemed.
Great work in the given context of the Steem. Think I'm the right one to answer your question:
Do Blockchain's Dream?
How did I not know we had afrog? I guess it was me living under a rock. followed of course.
You should change your avatar. Scorpion instead of a whale. They are living under rocks. I have to admit I can't interpet your answer quite well but I thank you. Followed I understand.
Oops, I forget not everyone here has English as a first language. I was just saying that I was happy to meet afrog on Steemit.
Thank you @whatsup.
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
(The Rolling Stones)