Only in it for the money
This post was inspired by a discussion between myself and @slobberchops. We chat a lot about the state of Steem and the challenges it faces. It can get you down and I need to look for hope.
As far as I can see the two main reasons people come to Steem are:
- Money
- Freedom
The first of these is probably the main draw for most people, but the fact that anyone can earn depends on the second.
On Steem you do not have to provide any proof of who you are or bank details. You may have to depending on how you sign up, but there are options to pay or have another user create your account. Then nobody can stop you doing what you want with what you earn. The caveat is that others can influence what your posts earn both up and down. You can also earn from curation and that is harder to take away.
Part of this freedom is that you are responsible for the security of your account. With blockchains a simple password is not enough. You need encryption keys to sign transactions. These keys will not be memorable, but then you should not be typing them. Use a password manager or Steem Keychain to enter them as required. The different levels of key reduce the risk of your account being compromised. I do find it annoying that Steem Connect and some other sites at you can use your master key, but that should only be used to change the other keys.
This complexity will be daunting to new users. Good user interface design goes a long way. It should direct users to tools like Keychain and make it clear what each key is for. Links to tutorials and videos can help. Never assume that your users are technical.
The freedom also means we do not depend on one organisation to provide access to Steem. Steemit could go away and we would still have eSteem and Steempeak. I would recommend those as better options anyway.
Something else that can put people off is that this freedom allows trolls and people banned from other platforms to operate freely. It is not so much that they are allowed or encouraged, but that there is nothing to stop them. If we compromise that then who it to determine who is allowed to join up? Do we want our freedom compromised? We do have the option to downvote content that we feel harms Steem to deprive users of rewards. Even if they are not driven away their reduced reputation may make their posts less visible.
I said at the start that most people come for the money, but economics mean that some will not make much. Can it be enough that they have fun here and at least make a little? Billions use other platforms for no reward, but there has to be a critical mass of users and compelling content to keep them here. Maybe some investment by Tron in marketing can help with those. Steemit never got around to it.
I remain optimistic about the potential of Steem. It has already changed lives. Not just those who made thousands for a post in the early days, but also people in places like Venezuela who had enough to pay the rent or buy the food they need. What other platform has done that?
Communities could help new users as they can immediately reach an audience who share their interests without having to buy votes.
We have to talk about the problems. Steem has struggled to grow and we the community can play a part in addressing them.
Steem on!
