If you've never heard of the paradox of the Ship of Theseus, then today, I'm going to explain why it applies to the STEEM blockchain and why it's relevant to the #newsteem movement. The paradox can be simply summed up like this: If a ship is repaired and pieces are replaced one at a time over the course of many years until eventually there are no original pieces left, is it still the same ship and if not, when, why, and how is it no longer considered the original ship?
It's certainly interesting food for thought and I think it very much applies to a constantly evolving and changing piece of technology like the STEEM blockchain. We can even look at the way the community has evolved and changed over time and apply the same paradox to it. We no longer use the same white paper, we no longer have the same leadership, we no longer have the same witnesses, and while some of the old problems persist, they're gradually being addressed over time.
So at what point do we stop worrying about and representing the STEEM that was and embrace the STEEM that is and will be in the future? I think whether intentional or not, the #newsteem movement and the introduction of tokenized communities with their own front ends and dapps is a far cry from where we started. Sure we can all bitch and moan about them taking too long to get here, who developed them, and look at the old problems that still exist, but for how much longer and to what ends?
I think the community has spoken and we've officially reached the tipping point. Sure, some people are refusing to let go of old STEEM and could end up stuck in that mindset and clinging to something that no longer exists or leaving, but we can't let that hold back the rest of us. At some point we all have to learn to let go of things that are no longer serving us or bringing us joy. This is the first time I've felt any glimmer of hope about the future of STEEM in at least a year and I like what I'm seeing and I'm grateful for all of the like-minded individuals that are still here. Much love.