Steemit won't learn from this because what you see from those 2 examples is human nature, not mistakes. Human nature killed those platforms, because too much centralized power and greed tend to corrupt people. Corruption may be the wrong term, as it denotes some sort of evil, which is not what I am trying to convey. But greed is an absolute part of the current human paradigm, and until we find a way to overcome this mentality, until Steemit finds away to overcome greed in favor of community, it will continue to perpetuate the same system it claims to disrupt. I think Steemit could learn a lot from the African concept of Ubuntu and the Ubuntu movement.
As users we need to have more "discussions" with each other than posts promoting the problem, but I don't think anyone knows how to get a like minded group together to get started and we end up with a lot of posts rehashing the same problems with some disjointed conversations.
You're right about human nature. What I try to point out to users is that Steemit is a community, not a website owned by someone and as such we control the direction either directly or indirectly.
I look at comments and see quite a few wanting to see the addition of simple link aggregation. I see them either as misguided in the direction they want to take Steemit or those looking for easy money thinking that a platform like Reddit could be monetized to reward the link aggregators.
Steemit isn't going to everyone rich or even provide and income, unfortunately that is how the world works. What it can do as the site grows is reward users for honest participation as well as awarding those with good/relevant content directly.
For that to happen, users need to understand that whales and dolphins are spreading the distribution of SP/SBD and growing the middle class community. It will trickle down as long as those rewarded like @rok-sivantehave an interest in seeing the Steemit community succeed.
Minnows have a direct impact on high payouts as well. While following a whale may get you more SP if they are upvoting content for no other reason than a whale did it then it contributes to the problem. I tend to look at a user's history including their, comments, upvotes to others, and their wallet before I vote on something that could be viral.
Ughh. I wrote a book again. :/
excellent contribution to the conversation. hardly a book. :-)
re: link aggregation... yes. this is not a "make-easy-money" platform. rewards flow to those who put in a LOT of time and energy into creating valuable content. neither much time nor energy is required to share a link, and such, not a lot of value inherent in it - unless perhaps the user has also done a writeup sharing a unique, valuable perspective on the content that furthers stimulating discussion.
re: >"users need to understand that whales and dolphins are spreading the distribution of SP/SBD and growing the middle class community."
YES.
And truthfully, I've begun finding that even more personally rewarding/satisfying than seeing the numbers in my account is upvoting and putting SBD in the accounts of those who I feel have added real value to the site, whom I appreciate for the perspectives they've contributed to me in exchange for the time I paid to their posts.
re: >"I tend to look at a user's history including their, comments, upvotes to others, and their wallet before I vote on something that could be viral."
I like this. It exemplifies the value of a long-term investment in the community - not judging a user based on one first impression, but digging in to understand more of what they're about and have proven themselves to contribute to the community over the duration of their time on Steemit.
Thank you. I enjoy a good conversation. :)
I find that I am actually able to help others here and it is rewarding beyond the monetary gains. While sometimes discouraging when people don't "get it", when one does and says thanks it feels good.
There's also such a thing as putting in your 'dues'. I see that in comments and helping people I've been rewarded more monetarily than for posting. Not that I've had anything to post, but when I do maybe others will follow me and notice. Then again I may end up being a content helper instead of a content creator.
Complaining about the system just takes away from the time you have in trying to change the system.