It is what we were promised; it is what we were waiting for.
And now the wait is almost over. There is now a Communities MVP for Steem.
This is how things are done. It is amazing what happens when people, in spite of layoffs, get focused and determined.
Oh wait, this was not done by Steemit Inc. They are still working on the databases and nodes. Instead, this was something that was taken up by one individual who decided he was going to make Steem a much better place. Hence, he took the roadmap for Communities that was laid out by Ned and ran with it.
https://steem.com/2017roadmap.pdf
The result is a minimum viable product for Communities that, I believe, is undergoing testing.
We all know the issue with Steemit Inc and the need for the decentralization. For that reason, it is imperative to follow 
First, we must understand Stratos. This is the mechanism that is delivering Communities to the Steem blockchain.
Stratos is a sidechain that allows for the creation of tokens and Communities. It is a layer that runs above the Steem blockchain. Thus, the nodes will not handle the computation of data but the transactions are stored on the blockchain.
One of the big keys of the Communities is the ability to assign roles. This is something that requires a second layer because this data does not feed through to the blockchain. The roles are familiar to anyone who participated in any online community.
Stratos is being set up as a DAO. This means there will not be any "ownership" as is the case with a typical corporation. This is truly community owned.
To read how this will operate, follow this link.
https://busy.org/@shredz7/a-model-for-a-decentralized-open-company-stratos-update
The Communities feature is a part of the DApp called Stratos. The intention is to broaden it by creating non-fungible tokens AND linking to other blockchains such as EOS and TRON. This opens up a host of other possibilities for expanding the reach of Steem.
Remember, this is a layer on top of the Steem blockchain meaning all transactions are sent to it. As those other blockchains start seeing more DApps created, how many of them would like to rapidly provide Communities to their users? This would be one way to do it.
The Stratos DApp will launch with only one feature - communities. Communities will have the ability to be open or restricted, and have advanced administration features including 4 different ranks able to be granted to different members, each having different positions. Currently communities are at the MVP stage - the development is done (nearly, there is one change currently in testing) for the base version and I am in conversations with an interface about integrating communities into their interface. The communities project will evolve to meet the interface’s needs, so that it will be able to be integrated into any other interface easily. (Bold is mine)
Here is where the rubber meets the road. It is obviously crucial for this to be easily integrated into the different interfaces on Steem. We need to consider those that are here now and ones that will arrive in the future. It is good to see that one integrating it might be just around the corner.
https://busy.org/@shredz7/communities-update-info-mvp-done
How serious is 
Here is a forthright statement from him about the situation. I bring this up to illustrate how there are many talented people on this blockchain capable of getting things done and willing to do it.
This is one of the reasons why I felt that debacle with Steemit Inc the last few months was not earth-shattering. We have the talent here to offset most anything. In fact, as is being exhibited, the potential exists to get it done quicker and better.
We should see much better interaction between users. Also, it is important to note this is not something that should be viewed as "competition" for Steem. Instead, it is necessary to understand it is an extension of Steem. At this point, there is no token release although that is possible in the future.
- Releasing the token would require a myriad of interfaces to be built at launch, which would delay launch and slow down progress (I’m not very good at building UIs)
- I’m still figuring out what the supply will be, how it will be distributed, etc and am not sure the best method right now.
- There’s no reason that the SRTS token will have value or use meaning its launch will be meaningless except for speculation, which contradicts its goal to be a utility token rather than a security.
So Stratos will be launching only as a communities implementation with the ability to activate a SRTS cryptocurrency as soon as the need arises by changing a few lines of code.
https://busy.org/@shredz7/real-progress-in-communities-with-stratos
These projects are really pushing Steem forward. Many viewed the lack of Smart Contracts as a drawback. That is no longer the case since there is Smart Contract capability tied in now. Others felt the fact that token creation was absent put Steem a step behind. That is no longer the case.
And now, with the soon implemented ability to establish Communities, this will put Steem interfaces on par with the centralized applications (at least in that regard).
One final thought: this is the power of decentralization. Here we have an example of what happens when a member (or members) of a community decide to take on the onus for what is missing.
From what I have seen,
The excitement grows.
If you found this article informative, please give an upvote and rehive.
