My last post Greed knows no bounds? had some lively and interesting discussions and I would like to thank those who are taking part. One quote I would like to expand on however is:
I think people have lost the principles of Steemit, but that was so predictable when "value" got involved. People share their lives for free on the others well known social networks without getting any reward. Here we can share and get or not some profit. Bots, fakes, cheaters, and a wide range of fortune seekers are all around. It is very easy to see who is who.
I think many hold this sentiment and I agree but, the other social platforms are identical with one difference, here at Steemit, the value, the cheaters, the bots and fortune seekers are all out in the open. As are the wallets the money goes to.
Steemit didn't introduce "value" into social media, it just chose to include the users and make them shareholders rather than cash cows. The other medias are plagued by fake accounts, automated responses, scams, begging, algorithmic discovery and a wide range of users willing to turn their lives into products in the hope to gain enough followers that a company will sponsor them.
All this, while the information gathered from the billions of users is systematically extracted and packaged for advertisers and governments to trawl through and find other ways to bend the user over and take a little more of their dignity and money. The platforms make billions, the advertising companies get billions, the governments billions... the user? The billions come from somewhere.
Everyone is mining on social sites, every post creates value, builds wealth, provides money, the difference is that it pours hand over fist into the pockets of conglomerates and investment funds who pass so little on to those whose money they use to invest and none into the hands of those they extract value from.
Who are the liars and cheaters? Who are the unprincipled? Who are the downtrodden? People are being taken advantage of at these sites by choice and think because they do not see the money flow, there is no money. As they say, if you do not recognise the product, it is you. It is quite unique really, they sell you and you buy versions of yourself back.
In my opinion, Steemit is much, much more honest than the other sites as what is generated by the platform is not hidden, it is trackable, transparent and even flaggable. Imagine flagging Facebook for taking too much value from their users?
I spend so little time at other sites now but when I do, all I see is the million little ways they are trying to screw me over, steal a little more of my attention, a little more of my time, get me to click one more link, view one more product, wait expectantly for likes... They have teams of people to manipulate me, to engage me. Honest?
This platform is flawed, its community is flawed, its ideas are flawed, its plans are flawed. It is us, flawed. The other sites offer a type of digital utopia of smiles and flowers to cover the flaws of our society, the greed, the scams. It is the biggest con of all. People blame society, WE are society. There is no one to blame but ourselves.
Steemit is a microcosm of the larger world where we can see all of the problems at a smaller scale but, largely out in the open. Here we have a chance to discover it, observe it and try to do something about it. We make many, many mistakes but as we move forward into the depths, it could just be that what we discover is the start of creating new models to use that clear the space for much better interactions, much better behaviours, much better experiences for many more people.
With an idealistic view, perhaps it will lead to less suffering and higher qualities of life for more of us. And perhaps those that benefit, will help others. Yeah, Steemit may not change the world, but perhaps we can.
Taraz
[ a Steemit original ]
