Correct one can also simply use the tags and earn the Tribes native token. I touched on that a little when I said the BATTLE tag is a good one to use along side the SPT tag but I suppose I could have expanded on the tag uses a little more in the main topic.
There's at least one interface that requires you to post from their specific site to earn their native token. I think its the #sct and #sct releated tags but I'm not 100% sure on that and there could be and likely are others.
The focus for these interfaces isn't so much you can get their token the focus should be that you get to see only the things you are interested in.
I don't 100% agree with that although it is a nice feature and is the focus of some of the interfaces but not all. Some other interfaces are simply different ways to access the Steem blockchain allowing users to post freely the same as Steemit does with the added bonus of earning an extra Token.
I think the tag approach is definitely the most accessible in regards to distribution, and sure tokens are a nice bonus maybe something happens maybe not but it costs the person nothing to just power it up and forgets about it.
I think that if it is an interface that by default the focus should be content. They are in their purest form just content filters on top of the chain and if that is the case then none of them has any value apart from users clamouring for the promise of some token. In that case, they may aswell only reward posts that came from their interface as proof of work if anything else.
All in all, I agree and maybe disagree on some specific or more so interpretations but as these sites grow and become their own thing I think there will be a bigger focus on having the content come from their interface, a bigger focus on getting content properly indexed by google like for example your post has canonical linking to Steemleo thus they might get ranked above steem if I get a result with this post.
The tokens buy the users and the value keeps them, but in the same line that creates a low effort community. I like what you said about the bonus especially now in the beginnings of things, not many look at these things as a mere bonus. I am just wary that if a person promotes them with a heavy focus on tokens that is a mentality that will need to be changed at a later stage when all of a sudden the focus is content.
Sorry if I typed a bit long and probably mainly just paraphrased you, So I will finish up and say that I think we do agree and will see what the future holds.
I believe we mostly agree as well. You're certainly 100% correct about getting indexed. We are seeing a small touch of that mindset currently with Tribe owners giving extra incentives to those posting from their Steem interfaces.
By design the Steem blockchain is token focused and is the main attraction to those using this blockchain as a social media platform. They come for the token(s) and the good ones stay for the community.
The main issue with trying to get people to be content focused over collecting crypto focused is that Steem(it) itself hasn't managed to figure out how to do that. So with the new interfaces/tribe sites mainly getting their user base from the ones already on the blockchain changing that mindset would be hard for them to do at current time.
Not too long at all, I appreciate your well thought out response.