This post was written for YOU - the internet surfer, browser, blogger, link-sharer, thinker, educator, artist… or my actual in-real-life friend who I’ve been hassling to join this new online community.
As appearances go, Steemit.com looks and acts a lot like Reddit. We’ve got a “trending” front-page where you can see a wide range of popular daily content... there are individual profiles, post feeds, followers and so on... But there’s one huge difference that allows Steemit to stand above any other social media website today. Here, you get paid to post... And I cannot emphasize that enough… Likes (called “upvotes”) = real dollars and cents. Every single day - you are rewarded for creating content, discovering, curating and commenting.
Engagement is rewarded. If you like a post that someone has shared, simply click the “upvote” ^ button to express your approval. It’s the same as a “like” on Facebook, except your click = currency. Even more amazing, voting on posts doesn’t take any currency away from you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. In fact, if the post you “upvote” continues to gain momentum (and possibly go viral) you receive a cut of the final payout. You get paid for discovering and curating content just as you get paid to create it.
Steemit is powered by the same technology behind Bitcoin. There’s a local currency used here called “Steem” which (like Bitcoin) is digital money. There’s no geography or boundaries to this “token”... no central bank. These types of currencies are “de-centralized” meaning your digital dollars are securely held across a global network.
Both Bitcoin and Steem are organized through a network-technology called “blockchain” (a buzzword that has been flying around a lot recently.) You might have heard that word used before with respect to big companies like Microsoft, Blackrock or IBM. For these guys, blockchain is exciting because it allows monetary and data transactions to happen in seconds, as opposed to in hours or even days. For example: think of how long it takes to deposit a check in your bank account… you give a bank teller a check and then wait 3-5 business days for that money to appear in your account. When you move currency through the Bitcoin blockchain, it takes only 10 minutes to process. When you move currency through the Steem blockchain, a transaction takes just a couple seconds. [ Mic drop. ]
The Steem blockchain generates a new pool of “Steem” currency every day. Just as a government prints paper money, the Steem blockchain creates digital tokens. When you publish content on Steemit, a percentage of that daily pool is allocated towards your blog posts and comments. The more popular your posts are, the more of the pool you receive, and the higher your Steem rewards become. Together, Steem and Steemit are building a new and self-sustaining online economy!
As I write this post, 1 Steem token is worth about $0.25 cents. So 4 Steem = $1 USD. So as an example; when you see a post that’s worth $10.00, that author will be awarded 40 Steem. Post values can range from pennies to thousands of dollars in value. It all depends on the popularity of the content and the value of Steem as a currency!
Like Bitcoin, you can purchase Steem on a digital currency exchange. (Similar to how you can also buy or invest in the Euro or USD.) There are hundreds of tokens out there that are available to buy and trade. As with any marketplace, it is important to remember that the token value fluctuates pretty often. In just a few years, the price of Bitcoin has bounced up and down anywhere from $3 to over $1,300! (But the trend is up!)
However, Steem is not just a currency like Bitcoin. Steem is a currency tied to an online communication platform. Action and engagement give it value. Steem is tied directly to the happenings and content shared on Steemit. Price action can skyrocket one day or go “to the moon” (another term you’ll see) based on a positive change to the blockchain, a mention in the news, or a new Steem-powered project. Just like how the USD will rise or fall based on how well the American economy is doing.
You publish so much stuff on the web everyday, why aren't you getting paid for all that hard work and time spent? Social media companies make a lot of money off of your effort and what do they give you in return? The value-factor of Steemit makes for an entirely new (but seemingly obvious) online environment. Having something at stake creates a very different social-media experience. The community here empowers good content while spammy posts fall into the background. Steemians take a lot of pride in their community and in the support of good authors and content creators!
When I first signed up I remember reading a welcome that heralded Steemit as “the internet’s first small town.” That has always stuck with me. Why? Users here (referred to as “Steemians”) really do treat Steemit like a small town. You’ll find that we are extremely supportive and constructive. There’s no incentive for nasty comments, so we have very few of them. Steemians just want this social platform to be a success! It’s a brand new experiment, a totally new economy and a new way to engage and empower one another!
You can connect with people. Not just high-school friends, neighbors or work colleagues. Steemit helps you find people with like-minded interests and ideas and encourages you to engage with them. Comments receive rewards, so people truly take the time needed to compose thoughtful responses and feedback. You don't see that extra effort anywhere else on the web. Steemit might just be the first true social media platform.
This is the central reason why I am writing this to you, today. Our small-town experiment is expanding and growing quickly! We have a strong network of Steemians all over the globe and we’re ready to take this community to the next level. I want YOU to be a part of this. I need your own unique perspective of the world, your talent, passion and engagement to help build a stronger future for Steemit.
Create a post and tell us a little bit about you.
Follow a few people. Read a handful of posts. Comment a couple of times.
See where it takes you...
Let’s build something together. I hope that you will consider becoming a member of this community! It’s entirely free to join, in fact, Steemit will even give you a few tokens to get started. Whether you join this platform as an internet surfer, browser, blogger, link-sharer, thinker, educator, artist or my in-real-life friend. I look forward to hearing from you. Until then...
Sign Up . Welcome Page . FAQ
@voronoi | design collective 
@hitheryon