My First Week- Here’s My 2 Steemit Cents

I know of no other platform in the world that offers people financial incentives for posting their 2 cents. Good luck even getting your mother to listen to you ramble on about your personal interests!

When my friend @JasonStaggers rang and told me about Steemit, I immediately had my reservations. “What’s the catch?” was my first response. "Why on earth would an organisation pay someone for posting?”
Nevertheless, one week later and I have morphed into a Steem addict!

Below are my initial thoughts on Steemit. Please understand that I am somewhat of a technical Luddite compared to most in this community. Trying to comprehend what Steem Power, cryptocurrencies and block chains were caused a small section of brain matter to ooze from my left ear. Not to worry though, it pushed back in okay!

Positives:

1. Paid to Post
   Where else in the world can you be remunerated to post your thoughts and insights? Everyone deserves to be heard, but to be paid as well? This is a blogger’s utopia!
2. Fair Rankings
   Ranking of posts appear to be relatively even-handed. While whales evidently dominate the Steemit landscape, everyone still stands a chance at being upvoted for sharing quality content.
3. No ads!
   I am so sick of seeing ads on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The ‘noise’ is deafening. Thank you Steemit for allowing me to read an article in peace!
4. Anarchists/Doomsayers
   A week of reading has made me realise that the site teems with anarchists and doomsayers. This is listed under the ‘positives’ sub-heading so please hear me out before you react. Since discovering Steemit last week I have been embarking on a life altering learning curve to say the least. Never before have I googled so much political, financial and historical opinion pieces. I think I took the red pill and entered the rabbit hole.
5. Friendly Community
   The Steemit community seems both upbeat and helpful. I feel like I can post freely and people will respond courteously. Try that on YouTube where sharing a simple ‘How To’ video can receive a barrage of cuss so crude that it would make a sailor blush.

My Steemit Wishlist:

1. App
   Having an App that was built to enable easier posting and reading would be a sure-fire winner. I’m thinking something clean skinned like the Kindle App would be enable functional reading.
2. Customisable Homescreen
   Let’s get personal! I’d love to see individual banners, writer profile photos and author bios.
3. Customisable Newsfeed
   This one is probably already in the pipeline but it would be incredible to have a customisable newsfeed so that I can see what those I have followed have posted.
4. Alerts Feature
   When someone likes your comment, or adds a response to your comment, you have absolutely no way of knowing it. An alerts feature would allow you to keep your finger on the pulse and stay in touch with readers.
5. Steem Dollar Price Chart
   I’ve tried to track the price history of Steem Dollars. An accurate price history has been hard for me to find. Has anyone built a price chart yet? As a potential investor, I’d love to be able to monitor the price history. (Forgive me if there is a stupid statement and there already is one in existence. I’m a Luddite, remember?)

Random Thoughts and Queries:

• How weird is it to have the ability to peer into someone else’s wallet? It’s slightly invasive but cool nonetheless!
• Will Steemit become increasingly Twitter-esque in that people ‘auto-like’ everyone with the hope that they are followed in return? Will the Twitter reciprocal arrangement of “like me back or you’re dumped” plague Steemit?
• I wanna be a whale! Can someone please make it from minnow to whale so I can see that a glimmer of hope that is indeed possible?
• Will there be a buy out on the horizon for Steemit? What do the founders plan to do if a suit knocks on their door with briefcases stuffed with cash (or a bulging crypto wallet)? Do they have a plan to ensure that the site’s everlasting integrity is maintained?
• Can Steemit keep hemorrhaging payouts? I believe 90% of Steemers are invested for the next 2 years but what happens if a flood of new users attempt to rort the system and capitalise on all the short term payouts? Is there a contingency plan in place to protect what we all have come to know and love?

In short, Steemit is an absolute game changer. I have loved reading the diverse scope of articles, I love the community that has been created, and I look forward to what the future holds for us all!