Over the last almost 2 years, I have visualized and written about Steem being like a city under construction, one that has a process order but in time will be able to support a great deal of variety of citizen once the infrastructure is in place. But, once the infrastructure is in place, that is not the case currently but we are slowly getting there.
If we were actually going to do a ground up build of a city and we had a pool of resources to allocate to construction, what professionals would get the lions share of value? Singers? Doctors? No of course not, engineers and construction developers most likely would be the only ones on site and those who are able to lay the foundations but as the cite takes shape, citizens move in and more and more services and therefore skillsets are needed and supported.
In time, a location can go from earth to a bustling metropolis with a rich array of cultures, sub-cultures and fringe societies that mix and intermingle into a melting pot of possibility. As it runs through its life cycles and trends, there is the continual need for many types of talents and the demands of the citizens will drive both talent support and infrastructure growth. As the tastes change, so do the services required and in so doing, tastes will change again.
For me, I find this visualization of Steem useful for a number of reasons as it allows me to get a type of road map of the ecosystem, something mentally concrete so to speak but, each of us could have different ways to view it. If we only view it from our own perspective and what is suitable for us in the moment however, we omit a large amount of what else the city needs to survive. I have said before, this city isn't ready for everyone yet.
I was reading an article written by @lemony-cricket about the space and people of steem and it got me thinking about the attrition rate (many call churn rate) of Steem. What would be an interesting metric to see is, how many developers (@lemony-cricket is a developer) are part of that churn rate? If we were able to get a cross-section by niche, is the rate of loss the same across all sub-groups or, are some groups more likely to be here long term despite the space not being ready?
I think this would be difficult to ever know but, from my experience and observational view, the developers, the data divers, the infrastructure builders and the experienced crypto enthusiasts are largely still here doing what they do. They are still bullish on Steem and are still investing their time and effort into development of the city which could be driven by their current support benefits but, is also likely they believe that they are able to solve the infrastructure challenges and make it work for the future.
@lemony-cricket mentioned that due to construction phase and all the trials, troubles, ups and downs that has got us to today, the attrition rate has removed those who have not been suitable for the place in its current form. To quote Lem:
So, I am left to wonder... are we a different breed here? Has this platform naturally selected for intelligent, strong-willed individuals? Is that why I find so many of the people I meet here to be the most interesting humans I've ever met?
I would say yet but I would also add that those who have left aren't not intelligent, but they weren't necessarily suited to the space at that time whether from a skill or will perspective. I have been here a long time in Steem years and again through observation I mentioned to Lem in comment;
The ones who survive here the best have been the versatile ones on average who are not dependent on one or two niches or feedback loops.
Why the people here are likely so interesting is that they are more likely more complex personalities that are less bound by their skillset and more unbounded in their interest areas and experience. At the moment, I really enjoy this place and have done for the last almost 2 years
Currently, the space is prime for developers to do what they do but for those who are not that kind of builder, it requires an attitude and skillset that is not tied exclusively to a specific niche, especially if it is one that is not yet consistently supported by the ecosystem. Those who are expecting to do what they love doing and get what they want out of Steem are going to be disappointed continually if there isn't the audience available for their work.
For me personally, my content topics and material have changed somewhat over time and even though I indulge in the things I love too, I have shifted content focus to a more Steem-centric perspective. This has been suitable for me as my content is behavior and community interaction based anyway. I have noticed quite a few who started off in one domain spreading successfully out into others as they realised that in order to survive the Steem crush, it takes a variety of content and a wider support base than most niches can provide.
This is evidence of adapting to the environment to survive (which is a definition of intelligence) and be a part of the overall design and direction of the platform. What I love to see is comments from artists and poets on the posts of developers offering their views of future infrastructure design that doesn't just serve their niche, but the community as a whole. These people are part of the weight that makes Steem so valuable and will help devs better create the infrastructure for future communities and talent groupings.
It is these types of versatile personalities that @lemony-cricket speaks of, the ones he can have the most interesting conversations with as they are able to discuss their skill area, have a view on infrastructure needs or Steem economics without having to be solely self-serving in their approach. What these people have learned to be are renaissance players, multi-skilled, multi-faceted and seasoned veterans who have made it through running the Steem gauntlet. Throw that in with the dynamics, complexities and myriad possibilities of Steem and, of course they are interesting.
For those who have made it this far and those who will make it a bit further until mainstreaming, these times and people connected with are going to have a somewhat shared experience that no new user will ever be able to truly understand. While users will be able to come in and perform in their chosen domains, the Steem veterans will have a subset culture each with talents that are more Da Vinci. Developers, artists, scientists, researchers and economists all rolled into one.
Even though each of us still have our preferred niche material and topics, by necessity many of us have been forced into becoming Steem generalists that dip our toes, fingers, noses and other extremities into places we never expected to put ourselves. This is a massive advantage in experience that we are yet to fully realize the importance or potential of in the community. The time will come though.
Although stake is the technical influence of the platform, what is actually the largest driver is social network and interaction that influences the stake to place its markers. The network effect of where with whom we spend our time matters as it is through these relationships that we are able to discuss and affect each other as well as build the bands of community that can drive change and development.
All of these dynamics of how we interact and learn as well as all of the tools we have and are developing combined with a diverse range of culture, perspective, experience held in engaged and active people leads to an ecosystem and community that could just have the highest average of interesting people in the world within it. At the very least, it has proven itself time and time again as a great place to have all kinds of discussions in an open and generally civil manner.
I closed my comment to Lem with a realisation that is either poignant or sad;
In some way, despite all the disagreements and challenges, these are my type of people.
At some point, all of the infrastructure and moving parts will fall into place and the city will truly be open for business and much of what it currently is and who we currently are will be scattered to the winds. These are the golden times of the future that those who survived will look back on with reverence and a little bit of longing.
The city may grow incredibly fast and large but, stay in touch.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
Another great piece of content, @tarazkp - thank you! It was a wise decision to start following your blog :-)
I remember that Steem City is a term that was even used by @ned once. IMO it perfectly mirrors the different evolutionary states of this blockchain and also kind of describes that metropolitan feeling - loud, chaotic, but truly inspiring - one experiences when entering conversations on a deeper level.
That's an interesting question many of us may've asked themsevels at some point on time.
I guess the fact that we're still in an early adopters stage which usually doesn't attract the average, but rather those who're itchy, thirsty, visionary and somehow different, has a great impact on the userbase and their integrity.
I fully agree that our different backgrounds, skills and standpoints are of inestimable value to this network. Where in the world do you have the opportunity to bring (let's say) a developer, an artist, a scientist and an economist together at one (virtual) table in order to talk about the universe?
This is not just another social media website, and it's a great priviledge to participate in this community every single day.
Had to resteem this one, keep up the great work :-)
There is definitely a different animal user than the average medias out there and due to the economic/dev/crypto slant it brings in a different range of skills again.
In time, it will be this group's ideas and the ability to fund them with real value for projects and research that will eventually change the world for a true better.
It is appreciated :)
Back it off a bit... :) Hmm nah, keep it flowing...He's the smartest one in the family...(Don't tell him I said that).
You're right here...Plus the average Joe on the street, young people, single mothers, older retirees...All sorts. one of my concerns is that there's so many great users I'm probably missing however have also found, and connected with, a few truly inspiring people.
Yes, it's a privilege.
This is what I have predicted before as well. This group of communities that we have here now is temporary. If this pans out the way I hope it will, Steem will be flooded with new people and become very fragmented. The financial consequences will be significant. A Steem market cap equivalent to the current market cap of Ethereum will almost be sufficient to make Dolphins millionaires. That brings me to another topic. If the price starts to rally far beyond January levels, how are you going to take care of the security of your funds and your person if you are not fully anonymous?
Interesting question Markku. You guys live in Funland though with very little crime and Taraz is an Aussie. Bit like Crocodile Dundee in the snow.
There will be crypto islands that float high above the earth and one has to vote each day to stay on ;)
I have been thinking about this and there is going to be a lt of 'rich anon accounts' that will come in time I am sure. Some have already started. It is going to be an interesting experience, especially for those in low-income areas where violence for value is common.
This post is an expression of #steem future and now reality.
This post was written only for a reader.
Few of us are part of this niche, we understand.
Sticking around means different avenues from different steemians.
Personally I like #steem for the value of learning crypto and be rewarded doing it.
One stop shopping.
Keep on postin'
Yes thats Steemit! A very mysterious city that outsiders still fear and afraid to enter. But once everything is under control, the reputation of the city will be in every discussion. People will enter it with excitement like Las Vegas :D
Seriously though as a developer I want to create the skeletons of projects to be filled in by the community. Not everyone can have the skills to build this place up, but we do have the power to simplify it for the rest of the less technically-minded users.
Imagine I was erecting a building but I couldn't do it by myself. I could create the molds for bricks and show everyone how to make bricks. Making the bricks is easy, but time consuming. I don't have time to do it myself so I pay others to make the bricks for me. Or, better yet, because I'm poor, I offer brick-makers some stake in the building once it's created. That is the power of SMT: getting people to jump on a project using credit and speculation.
This is how I want to create video games on the Steem blockchain. I want to build map editors, puzzle builders, etc (sandboxes) and then take the best things people have built and throw them into a full-fledged directed ecosystem.
This place is so versatile and adaptable that in time, there are going to be so many various collaborations that it is going to be unrecognizable. The blockchain is going to be like an ancient tree in a massive forest with roots that stretch to the edges. Pretty exciting times :)
Truly! Many users think this platform is limited to social media. @actifit and @steemmonsters has already shown otherwise. We almost have the full functionality of a blockchain with smartcontracts. SMTs may enable full functionality. If that happens then we have smartcontracts on top of 3 second blocks and zero transaction fees. It's pretty crazy when you think about it.
I don't know if you are crazy or not but, I like you :D
I am pretty bullish on it all lately and the possibility for Steem to pull in real businesses and users through funding them from the pool is enormous. I am not technical nor economically minded but I am pretty sure there is a massive amount of untapped potential here that as time progresses, will start to reveal itself.
Oh yeah I'm totally nuts. Good thing for me the difference between genius and insanity is measured by success.
The poor are crazy, the rich eccentric.
You are right, I have watched people come in and go in these past months and I don't blame them, while some left as a result of the rewards on their posts others couldn't find market for their niche. For now, only versatile can survive here.. I have a feeling that when Steemit is set, they will all return.
This is how my vision is about steem in the future too @tarazkp but I don't know how to express it. Well said @tarazkp.
Indeed I hope in the future we look back to these times as a reference point for when the best people stayed on and built the platform to what it becomes
There's never been this level of accountability before.
Every single word you and I have ever exchanged will be available for our great grandchildren; who will consider that completely natural; and will be bemused that we found it such a novelty.
That level of accountability is terrifying to some people.
People who obfuscate; spread rumours; say one thing then do another; those people aren't drawn here like we are, and they can't imagine what we see in the place.
The fact you're here tells me you're drawn here, which tells me a lot about you.
I was going to write a piece called something like "The book of me" where an AI writes our biographies from our social media accounts and matches it up with the data gathered from other sources. I think that if my daughter ever looks back through my articles and comments, she will have a decent view of who I was at this time and, it won't be all bad.
We may be leading to a life of open conversation without the toxicity but it isn't going to be an easy ride and those that manipulate and spread rumour aren't going to go quietly into the night.
This line of thought is great and I haven’t had considered it but it makes sense. The fact that those that persist will only make this stronger is great as they will be the leaders when adoption grows and new communities are formed. I have been seeing a lot of pessimistic talk latey which I think shows some frustration and doubts in the community but I think realistic approaches are important to inprove the experience and drive value to the ecosystem. Developers are the lifeline to what is being created and experience being built and for that reason I am optimistic!
When you watch the toxic talk, look far back through their history and see how their account has fared over time. it can be telling.
They must be driven by end users eventually as often developers complicate simple and what they desire is not necessarily the wants of mainstream users.
Some interesting thoughts. It is certainly much quieter here now that crypto has dropped. Like we held some sort of festival at the construction site over Christmas and New Years and a lot of the people who came for that have walked out.
The constructors and a few hanger-ons are still here, still building, and still have a vision of what is to come as the city is developed. Long way to go.
Yes long way to go.
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