I have seen the market go up, down, sideways, and flat-out haywire in the nearly 15 moons that I've been on Steemit. I truly see more action and progress now than I did when the markets were at the all-time-highs and everyone was mooning and high on the glorious irrational exuberance. I see more updates from @steemitblog recently that point to some really exciting features that are coming to the platform, as well as tools for developers to integrate apps with the STEEM blockchain.

Yet, even with the progress comes conflict and we have also seen no shortage of that here either. Some users feel that there is nothing that can be done to improve this platform. Ironically, many of them also refuse to leave the platform. Some people just love misery and spend their time online trying to find company who'll join them in their pit of despair.

If that has already turned you off, you might as well mash the back button because it gets worse... ✌️😆

There is some mild language, however, this much of this is extracted directly from a very real conversation. It was more or less me ranting, but some great discussion came from it and @jackmiller encouraged me to turn it into a post. I hope it provokes some thought.

Not a Developer? Not a Problem!

It would take an average guy like me, a non-developer, working class guy about 5 minutes to see there are major flaws with the Steemit platform. I suppose where I differ from others is that I do not allow that to rule my thought process. Problems are simply challenges waiting to be accepted. Too many people make it a topic of discussion and simply don't do anything else to provide solutions - they just keep talking about the problems.

Talk vs. Discussion + Solutions

I see quite a bit of talk about solutions. In the past few weeks, I have seen some witnesses really pull together and help each other in a way that is collectively good for the community and for the individuals who are dedicated to running this platform. For all the nonsense that goes on in the witness realm here, there is also a great deal of good that is derived from the actions of these dedicated humans. I happened to pop into MSP Waves over the weekend and heard some discussion surrounding upcoming HIVE and SMT updates.

^{created by @grow-pro}

I have also had the privilege of chatting with @jackmiller a Steemit Witness himself, and he often writes about his position on important issues. He's one that I also see offering solutions and putting his words into action. Jack sees the issues that plague the platform, but like many other dedicated individuals and community witnesses - they continue to generate solutions. Of course, it is not that way for everyone.

We do not all agree - 'se la vì' (that's life)

There seems to be several perspectives that do not entirely agree on the path that the platform should take, but now there is real discussion about why not build your own?

That seems to be a great idea, actually. There are several front-ends in development that will run right on the Steem blockchain. This allows the creator to define their own sets of rules and determine the user experience by developing their own app to layer on top of the blockchain.

This blockchain is a beast

Battle-tested and takes a beating. If you have used apps like Busy.org, then you already know how vastly different the interface and user experience can be - all while operating on the Steem blockchain. The issue seems to be incentive when it comes to bringing new developers onboard, but we also have to remember that sustaining a healthy population of users during this bloom stage is absolutely critical. We want to see this beast bloom!

The following was taken directly from a conversation I had with @jackmiller several weeks ago:

"When people can come to Steemit, use it (in any capacity) and enjoy their experience = Steemit will bloom exponentially." @grow-pro

"Is it really all about the money? No, not entirely" @grow-pro

FB doesn't pay the users to get on there, yet they have Why do you think people still use it? Even knowing privacy is gone, trust of Company is gone, investors dumping, why stay and use it? People know people using it = herd mentality
Just like critical mass in growth, they will at some point hit critical mass in reverse
You can make money on Steemit (you probably won't come with anything and won't leave with anything)
But people are not having fun or enjoying the experience. Numbers and stats speaks volumes to that being the case
That's it. Period. Make the experience more enjoyable. We know it is not earnings alone that makes this experience

Since writing that, FB shares took a huge hit and I have seen some more discussion surrounding overall experience of users on Steemit. There are so many great curators groups out there and they are growing. If you are not familiar with some of these excellent curator groups - here are a few that I appreciate, but there really are some great ones I don't know of, so share them below in the comments!

Great Curation Groups That Improve Overall User Experience

• @curie
• @thealliance
• @canna-curate
• @steemsquad
• @robinhoodwhale
• @minnows-unite
• @minnowbooster
• @qurator
• @ocd

I also have to give a BIG HIGH-FIVE to one of my favorite Steemit curators, @goldendawne - a true staple and wonderful individual curator, amongst curating for several groups. Visit her blog and give a high-five for curating awesome content that hides within the depths of Steemit.

If you would like to add any that I missed (I'm sure I missed quite a few), comment below.

My harsh and straightforward take on why FB has nothing on Steemit in terms of potential

That's why if there was only one casino there would be less people to gamble
Can only be so many losers in a building at one time
Social media platforms that make people upset: shitty user experience, lessened retention, limited use
Reasons there's ten thousand sites
Not one can house the world properly, too close for comfort
FB is war zone for social mud slingers and the lay person to share their lunch and duck lip faces
Purpose? Fck no, there is no fkn use and no money made
Why the fuck do 4 billion people have FB? Hahahahahahaha
Because they get tiny bits of gratification
Thumbs
And people they know are there

That is what FB has over Steemit, in my personal and brutally honest opinion. Which I have to say is really nothing but a huge user base. I do not feel that Steemit is ready for that level, by any stretch, but I refuse to believe it cannot one day become a mammoth, fully bloomed platform.

Ask yourself: Do I want everyone from FB on Steemit?

Answer: NO, NO, NO YOU DO NOT.

We want to cherry-pick the crowd and bring people here who make FB a fun and enjoyable or entertaining experience. It is literally the people that make the experience, not the platform. Even a poor UI on a network with a ton of people can be a highly used platform - just ask Google (before they ruined G+) 😂

I am not trying to bash FB, they do well enough undermining their own credibility on their own.

I am not trying to disregard the fact that Steemit has serious progress to make prior to hitting a critical mass of users. The developers can create a wonderful outlet for us, but it is up to community to guide new users and educate. You actually can earn by doing that here, so it is also why I place it into comparison with something as giant as FB.

STEEMIT IS BEGINNING TO BLOOM & FB IS LOSING LEAVES

When people can come to Steemit, use it (in any capacity) and enjoy their experience = user base will bloom big time. There is no magic update or UI change that will generate that alone. Let's face that fact and get to work.

Facebook is a mega-giant of social media. What do they pay their users out of that $40 billion dollars in revenue? What about their shareholders?

Steemit users have captured $40 million + from virtually the same actions as FB users in just over 2 years. Not to shabby...

I'm just putting it out there in my own personal way, so if anything I hope you can appreciate where my heart is. We don't always agree and that is beautiful. We don't have to agree, we just need to coexist peacefully. Jack is the beam of encouragement that pushed this rant to become a post for all to see. Might as well offer the community a chance to respond and discuss what we can do to continue making progress.

Why do you think people still use FB? Even knowing privacy is gone, trust of Company is gone, investors dumping, why stay and use it? People know people using it = herd mentality
Just like critical mass in growth, they will at some point hit critical mass in reverse
You can make money on Steemit
But people are not having fun or enjoying the experience. Numbers and stats speaks volumes to that being the case
That's it. Period. Make the experience more enjoyable. We know it is not earnings alone that makes this experience

We have much work to do yet. Until people are willing to stay, we have not yet done our job of offering them an enjoyable experience. Don't give up now, this baby is beginning to bloom!

Come for the money, stay for the community

We have to understand that most, if not all of us, came here for the potential to earn. That, for a while, seemed to be a shame point for veteran users to shame those who came to Steemit in hopes of earning. Who are they to judge when not everyone got in at 0.10¢ and gamed the early system to hell and back (which is why we are where we are today...cough) and amassed huge amounts of Steem-power.

We all can offer our own unique contributions to the community

Let's not forget that it is up to us to enhance the overall experience here. Not all of us are social butterflies who leave 200 comments per day, but we can all strive to make progress. I often feel that I do not comment enough and interact the way that I really should in such a great community. Micro or not, perfect or not, it's a great outlet for what it is and far better than any other platform that I know of. I can create more here on Steemit than any other platform out there. That's something special and this flower is just beginning to bloom.

Let's spend our time doing something great, my friends.

What the World Wants: Social Media! People have spoken, now let the stats talk!

^{infographic made by @grow-pro • feel free to share!}

2018: growth of social media

After stumbling upon this great site called SmartInsights.com and then having my mind blown by the popularity and demand of social media in 2018, I thought 'this is something worth sharing'. The usage of social media and the internet had grown exponentially in the past decade.

The new 2018 Global Digital suite of reports from We Are Social and Hootsuite reveals that there are now more than 4 billion people around the world using the internet...
If we add this together for all 4 billion of the world’s internet users, we’ll spend a staggering 1 billion years online in 2018.

I cannot even wrap my mind around that statistic, seriously. A billion years?!

^source

4.021 BILLION Internet Users and 3.196 BILLION are using social media! {reference}

Plenty of Internet Users (and growing) + Plenty of Social Media Users (and growing) = MASSIVE POTENTIAL

All we need is synergy