Taking up challenge @bozz, How Steem Has Impacted My Life @theycallmedan after reading amazing content by @jaynie I got writers block, now third opportunity has came around.
I am going to try follow the format as laid out by Bozz, forgive me if I venture off with things that transpired.... Bad habit of late!
How long have you been on Steem?
Signed up August 2016, did nothing for almost a year, decided to tackle this "markdown" style of writing June 2017 so yes some time lost; now why, not fully persuaded to make change after watching similar ideas sink.
_My thoughts: Great ideas don't always come to fruition when too much jostling occurs, many made easy money in those early months, I missed the boat, many abandoned the Steem platform when earnings went to dust.
On the bright side many stayed, friends from previous platforms are very active, slowly building more steem, plus bonus is new front end development keeps interest up._
Did you have a goal in mind when you joined Steem?
Original goal was to learn as much as possible and assist others become more familiar with blockchain, cryptocurrency with change happening quickly, new concepts coming into blogging.
Are you still on track with that goal?
Twists and turns in life, no I am not on track with what I originally intended, with a Social Media Troll on my heels I had much to clean, much to learn.
Too many interests outside realm of teaching online (with so many more knowledgeable I shied away), being entertained in nature, environment, contests, meeting new people, cultures, traditions sharing more in everyday living...
One really has to try stay grounded, afraid I did not stick to the straight and narrow, made new friends in communities and have thoroughly enjoy sharing, researching and learning.... Fishing to find the right way!
How have your goals shifted?
Watching (yes I love to learn by watching), I have noticed people who were earning exceptionally high earnings I'm talking over $100 for little more than sharing news or scraping information together with a few lack-luster words now making way less (let's say a Dollar or Two), no more bots to help them.
Sharing information in the early days I attracted Cheetah visits, another learning curve, do your own work in your own words, use your own photography or learn procedure to state the valid source.
Goals have shifted, actively participating more than I ever did in comments, sharing outside of Steem platforms supporting growth initiative, also starting to curate, next step will be to try assist/host one or two small contests which I did when I first arrived.
If your goals have shifted, what were some of the driving factors of that?
Arriving after buying Bitcoin in 2015 when the price was in the $300 mark with our exchange rate against the Dollar over 15:1, ecstatic learning something new every day, researching, helping others become familiar with cryptocurrencies gave me purpose. Bitcoin may be out of reach for some, learning blockchain, cryptocurrencies, blogging ethics makes Steem platforms an ideal place to invite people to.
Living in Africa this could be an answer to many problems, previously blogging on how to join an exchange, get verified, looking after the investment, from a private blog you are a small fish in a very big pond. Coming from corporate financial background one definitely knows never to part a person with their money, it is safer for people to build and invest when they are ready.
Personally my encounter was From the Frying Pan into the Fire, two years of working in crypto I recouped original outlay investment, leaving some to build, bad decision made in both mining and trading platforms revealed the ugly face of MLM scammers. Small crypto site I was involved with turned into a debacle all of it's own, lost time and effort, still a learning curve so no hard feelings.
Along came Steem platforms.... Don't become a Social Media Butterfly it too does not work!
Based on your expertise, faith, or other divination skills, where do you honestly see the overall value/landscape of Steem (knowing that most cryptos are still tethered to BTC feel free to make broad speculations) at the end of 2020?
Steem is a place I invested into about two years after signing up, the amount was moved from BTC earnings to continue working. All tokens and smaller cryptocurrencies I invest into and support are there to be used, shared, hopefully grow. (False promises, good intentions, making a quick buck) never works, many will fail can be gone tomorrow, no risk is no reward, never hold regrets. With bots gone people who enjoy the platform are starting to become more vocal sharing ideas or disapproval finding their way on Steem, sharing has become more featured to grow the platform after the shaky start Steemit.Inc appeared to produce with people going into Social Media stating high earnings are made from any content creation.
Steem platforms are evolving to become niche areas for many talented people, support over niches should be encouraged, image a world without music or art?
BTC I still firmly believe has value going forward, value is derived from being the original, capturing market/peoples imagination, implementation into many key factors, security, ease of use.
Value during 2020 price will more than likely go up just before halving takes place in approximately May, for miners this happens on the 630 000 block, for those interested it is currently working it's way through block 615 300 (reason done is to reduce blocks by 50% in mining size around every 4 years, makes coin scarcity grow, along with value due to scarcity). Historically price drops down for a couple of months after, slowly picking up toward the end of the year, all these factors depend on geopolitical tensions in an uncertain global economy.
Always remember never invest more than you are willing to lose, then everything should be alright! We may never reach the moon with crypto, we should never give up trying!
Thought for Today: "He who has people is richer than he who has money." ~ African Proverb
All photography is my own using a Canon PowerShot SC730 HS, resized to load easier, writing is my own.
Communities I Support: #qurator #steemitbloggers #steemsa #steemitbasicincome