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RE: Dtube Exclusive - BuzzSteem Ep. 37 [Is Steemit Really Decentralized?]
Young lady!!! You are killing it with all these votes! I am so excited and so happy that you've found your niche! I introduce a lot of Nigerian people in @thefreshfive... so I personally don't think the take up is super low, but I guess that's all perspective.
Steem is not super decentalised at the moment, and I'm super okay with that. It means that decisions can be made quickly (pretty much one user can make or break witnesses in a second) and the good whales can take action on fraudsters and shysters. Decentralised is great, but it can be manipulated and in these early days I personally think it's better for experienced stern hands to steer the ship instead of just everybody having an equal (but also potentially equally uninformed) say.
That's amazing that you are doing such cool stuff with the @freshfive! Yeah, I was mainly covering their concerns with getting people to join, as opposed to how the people are doing on here once they are here. (Though they could always use more help, a lot of the newbies could.) They have a serious PR problem with the rest of the world, as Nigeria has kind of become an untrustworthy place when dealing with people online. (I bet if I checked my email right now there would be at least a couple of spam emails from someone claiming to be a Nigerian Prince that only needs $40 to be able to send me the lottery that I won but never entered.) Just like with America being the laughing stock of the world for lots of different things, Nigeria is fighting this image problem of untrustworthiness online, and it has bled over into its own people who have been burned through these pyramid schemes. So, really feel for them, because I know as an American how it feels when you are represented in a light that doesn't reflect who you are personally just because of where you live!
As far as decentralization, I am also not upset or concerned about Steemit being more centralized, I just don't really like the idea of it becoming my go-to everything. I am very much so a capitalist at heart, and I still believe in good ole healthy competition. I would be devastated if Steem took over as a monopoly for everything, but I also really highly doubt that will happen!
I have to agree with Aussienninja. My recent analysis suggested there is a number of Nigeria's learning about Steemit just via Google Search.
And complaining that you only have 10 people supporting it from your part of the world is ridiculous.
We barely have 20 peeps supporting Steemit from a city of 1 million and I'm not putting my hand out asking for help. But rather just get on with the job of exposing it to as many people as I can.
Yeah well in the US we have learned to recognize our own privilege. And coming from a place of privilege, it means a lot to me to help those that have less. I have seen many people on here complaining that their posts don't get enough upvotes, and they are from Europe, the US or Australia even and most likely don't need the help of Steemit to get by. Sure, it's a nice option as a job, I appreciate what I make, but I also don't pretend like I am in some way hurting by helping other people, even if they "put their hand out asking for help." God forbid we help some people eat...or pay their electric bills. The nerve of these people to come into a community of relentless "I'm here to help" circlejerking, and ask for help!
I stand by my original point which is that in the US anyway, Americans are skeptical of Nigerians because of scammers and it's really not fair. The amount of Nigerians on Steemit is irrelevant to that fact and wasn't really my original point. If you don't want to help out the Nigerian community, or you feel like they are already getting enough help, then that's cool. Different strokes for different folks. I don't see helping them as taking away from exposing Steemit to as many people as I can, and actually I think that stories like theirs, coming from the third world, could make a really compelling argument for people to join Steemit. I have never been much of a globalist, but we have to inevitably accept the reality that that is where crypto is taking us. We are no longer just looking out for our fellow countrymen, but our fellow Steemian, no matter where they may hail from.