It was less than a month ago when Ned got to all sort of TV shows in the USA and also Japan from what I remember talking about Steem, the blockchain, and Steemit the social media/blogging platform and news started to flow soon after about us and this platform. Most of them being positive ones, inviting people, crypto enthusiasts or not, to join the blockchain based decentralized and censorship free platform.
Yes, decentralized and non censored platform was Steemit's cherry on top in its short advertising appearances in the media. However things seem to have changed and recently a Steemit user by the name @thedarkoverlord was censored and his account was simply closed. For what?
From what I read around here it is all regarding some sensitive information about the 9/11 atack that the guys owning the account claiming to have and share on the blockchain if some amount of BTC will get to their wallets. From what I read also recently it seems that they didn't raised the required amount of BTC( about $2 million if I am not mistaking) and just shared some teaser docs of what they have but they are already suspended from Steemit.
Exactly what competition was waiting for. Every once in a while, recently, I got to read on twitter such tweets like the ones screenshot-ed above, from competition of course blaming Steemit for being not "censorship free" and offering of course their alternative platforms. From an advertiser's point of view you can't say you wouldn't do the same. It's a jungle out there and the strongest one gets to eat first.
From a Steemit user's point of view I can only say that I don't care about their platforms and that's why I am not even mentioning their names, because I don't want to be a hyena's helper in this moments. I am using Steemit for almost a year and haven't found any better alternative yet. It's somehow weird though that this thing happened almost the same time when Ned took out about 1,5 million Steem from his Steemit account and transferred them to Bittrex.
I remember watching a DTube video a few days ago in which the creator shared his thoughts about @thedarkoverlord by saying that such user, that was already banned from twitter and reddit, sharing such documents on Steemit would boost the price of Steem a lot by dragging into light Steemit's two most valuable qualities: decentralization and the lack of censorship.
Looks like it failed. Now, if it was for me to decide such act of closing one users's account I have to say that I would do that only because I would close many others before, on the same or similar reasons. But since I don't know about any other similar case or accounts closed I don't think I would. Moreover, during time there were scammers that stole people's funds, users that advertised ponzi schemes and people who simply abused the rewards pool as they wished and nobody closed their accounts.
Then why this user/group of people had to be thrown out of the platform? I have read from @toofasteddie recent post that @thedarkoverlord posts can be found on other frontends but haven't searched them. However, Steemit kicked some user out of the platform and now is being kicked by competition with "its own leg".
Thanks for attention and have a great day!
Adrian
Very interesting. If the cancelation of that user's account is true (under the argument of posting sensitive info) then we are facing a dangerous tendency here. Flagging is already a problem when used to punish users who post information people find offensive. Whatever happened with freedom of speech and free will.
There are tons of users whose content I reject. I just don't follow them, don't read them and don't vote for them.
I understand the need to regulate and have some sense of order and respect, but who determines what is sensitive or offensive.
I may be offending liberals for criticizing Maduro's government, which I may think is the worst in the world, but which stillhave supporters all over the world (to my dismay).
If some leftish whale decided that badmouthing the latinamerican left is offensive then my account and many others I follow will be out of Steemit in a snap.
Exactly. Who decides that? If there is a person just like you and me then I don't see such things going well for Steemit and sooner than later it will loose ground against other frontends and probably against other platforms also. I started with Steemit and honestly I don't want to see it fading...
Neither do I. I hope all the talented minds that made this possible, the witnesses, and all the users who have contributed so much smart content can make Steemit live up to the expectation it created.
We have enough disappointments in world politics. We are supposed to know better
I did not know our accounts can be closed. What of any funds in our wallet? They steal that?
I have no clue but I guess you can take out your tokens using other frontends. There must be a way to do that. After all, it is your funds.