There's a reason for this, I think. Especially in these early days, it takes something special to be a Steemian. Most people I have told about Steem balk at the concept right away ("sounds like a scam"), and those who are initially receptive seem to lose interest after finding out they would need to use several exchanges to "get any real money out of it." (Hah!)
Even some people who stick around for a while find that it's too much to take and leave. Either they can't handle the price dropping (see ya!), or they can't handle the drama, or feel that something about the platform is "unfair." The result is that the remainder of us tend to have similar views and tendencies, at least about Steem and crypto in general: you will pry it from our cold, dead hands. And I think, in a broad sort of way, there is just something special about Steemians.
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?
All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again. In 1993, it happened on Usenet, when America Online decided to open the floodgates by granting every single AOL user access to the newsgroup platform. Now, Usenet denizens were used to this sort of invasion; it happened every September, after all, when the new batch of first-year university students were introduced to this new exciting thing and had absolutely no idea how to conduct themselves. Eventually they'd either figure things out, or they'd decide it wasn't for them and log off, never to be seen again.
But this time, it was different. This time, September never ended. They called it the Eternal September. The "old guard" were completely overrun by the newcomers who, by sheer force of numbers, completely redefined the culture of the place. From the eyes of the early adopters, Usenet was never the same again.
But... it sure is nice to be here right now, isn't it? 馃崑
