From the TV series Community
If you've seen the season 5 Community episode "App Development and Condiments," then you know what I'm talking about.
Basically, MeowMeowBeenz is this social networking app that ranked users with a peer-rating system; those with a better ranking had more weight attached to what they rated. Digital status equaled real world prestige. Eventually, it turned the entire campus of Greendale (who agreed to beta-test the app) into some kind of bizarre future utopia/dystopia with all kinds of scheming, rebellion, ridiculously awesome costumes, and showed humanity at its best and worst.
And it also became like Logan's Run. So, points for that!
I'll be 43 soon and while I think a lot of technology is dumb, I admit that it dominates a significant portion of my life and I'm dependent on it. So, in that way I feel like Neo from The Matrix movies. He needs technology, but also despises it and seeks liberation from it.
On that note, send all of your Meow Meow Beenz down the sanctuary rabbit hole as I run from the sandmen whilst jamming on my laser keytar. Ziggy played for beenz, screwed up eyes and screwed down hairdo...
VS
p.s. If you enjoy cheesy and sleazy 70's space opera and are into paper & pencil tabletop roleplaying games (you know, like D&D), then check out Alpha Blue.
It sort of works like that. "Steemians" with more "steem power" have more weight applied when they upvote a post. Their vote is worth more SBD to the author of whatever they upvote. Technically, the more steem power you have, the more flow control you have in where the money goes and to who.
Then there's rep, which is that number next to everyone's name. The higher the rep of someone who upvotes your comments, the more effect it has in building your own rep when they do.
So, steem power and rep are two different kinds of clout. Of the two, steem power is the only one that has a real effect. Rep, to my understanding, is merely a non-binding reference number that shows that an abstract number which shows to what degree members who produced worthwhile content find your content to be worthwhile.
But who controls the flow of spice?