So what's with all the rave reviews about Steemfest? It seems like everyone's somewhat touched by the event. It really is something, and I've thought long and hard about it during my 13 hour flight.

What made it tick?

It's a fact that everyone's different in their heads, and I can't speak for everybody who attended. Maybe we're only seeing the good reviews. But being a keen observer of interactions, I can safely say that everyone had a great time. It was everyone's party in their own ways.

Now that I've experienced Steemfest and grasped its userbase dynamics, hell yeah I'm ready to write this little essay. It is something that I wish I would have presented during my talk about Curie, but it just felt too much and I had just cut it short, knowing I'll blabber around uninterestingly in circles.

There was this thing that some of us have thrown around during conversations during Steemfest - the fundamentals of this platform were enabling this magical gathering of minds. That sentence doesn't say much, does it?

Being a Steemian made it tick, duh!

There are certain fundamentals of being a Steemian made possible by the blockchain, and that includes:-

• Being a good contributor of the community.
• Invested in the long-term growth of the network.
• Self-motivated to develop ourselves by communicating, learning, and building.

Well, I guess this is every Steemian's modus operandi, especially those who attended Steemfest. Whether if it's conscious knowledge or not, perhaps each and everyone of us recognized that everyone is different, complex, and have their own thing going on in their lives. Still doesn't say much, eh?

I mean, why isn't everyone in their own neighbourhoods or countries banding together?

What's with fiat currency? Geographically, everyone's lumped into communities that are powered by their own respective currencies, afterall. So why isn't such a thing more universally experienced in everyday life?

Because the fiat system is too centralized for peer-to-peer effects and relevance. The currency's health is largely dependent on the speculation and dynamics that are based on heavy centralization. One country, one government, and one currency.

With a social-centric cryptocurrency like Steem, here we are connecting with everyone and self-organizing through day-to-day upvotes and interactions, forming communities. These communities are self-regulating, and are fully incentivized on the blockchain level, to be a Steemian.

Steemians are inherently not dependent on heavily centralized socioeconomics. Steem is exactly centralized in its operation to be highly diversified in its flow of resources. A practice of decentralization. @liberosist have made some reports about Steem Power distribution, and how it's getting more equal. I think those who've experienced Steemit for a few months will know it for themselves that the attention for topics and accounts are getting more diverse.

So is this necessarily indicative of a blockchain that is going to thrive?

Steem is a great piece of tech. It's fairly low energy, high-speed, and works to empower Steemians. It's very loosely-defined reward distribution mechanism is largely social, voluntary, and self-regulating. If it continues to motivate long-term contributors that are always developing themselves by communicating, learning, and building, then this network will definitely thrive.

If you consider the continuous progression of demonetizing Maslow's hierarchy of needs, then the slow removal of dependence on fiat-powered fulfillment of needs, will in time, stop the bleeding from Steem to fiat. Consider @gardenofeden - while there are aspects which are still fiat-dependent, one may make the argument that stuff like food and nutrition can be independent of fiat. These guys are living it.

As more creators and producers are beginning to accept Steem as a currency, the more valuable it becomes. That's as obvious as it can be. Imagine if you can use Steem to fulfill the very basics of life like food and shelter. That's incredibly empowering because anyone can just figure out ways to contribute in other ways (such as fulfilling higher parts of Maslow's hierarchy) in exchange for basic necessities.

@dantheman recently went on a posting spree which includes basic income, and personally, I think Steem's setup for (contributory) basic income is already pretty damn good. Most would assume that basic income promotes laziness, but personally, I think covering basic needs does the exact opposite! I think for the most part, it will motivate us to focus on the higher stuff that interests us. Isn't that what thriving means?

Fiat currency is inherently a mix of finite physical commodities, and violence. Steem, as a currency is lightweight and dematerialized. If thriving is not enough, Steem is also sustainable in its mode of resource production and distribution.

Moving forward

I think most Steemians will soon realize that they can add value to any part that goes on in the Steem network. Everything can use its own marketers, engineers, skeptics, and believers - so to speak. I think the next crucial step is to be conscious of organizing and building communities by fulfilling community needs based on a good understanding of Maslow's hierarchy.

Motivation and fulfilment are universal. That's how Steem connects people, I think?

I'm planning to do a video hangout session with @andrarchy, and anyone else who wants to join. It will be a good way to form new, relevant perspectives for Steem.

---

Follow me @kevinwong