I wanted to write a 'best-of' post for the year, but then realized that I have only spent a bit over two months on Steemit so I don't think that qualifies me for writing something like that. However, I have to say it felt like a very intense and rewarding two-and-a-bit months, and I am excited by what is around the corner for all of us (and I don't mean the price of Steem).
So I decided not to take the easy way out and instead do some introspection on what has been a pretty incredible journey so far on Steemit because this post deserves a little bit more love and care (being the last post for the year for me and all). This is to help me step back and take a break from posting and wallet watching, but also to keep in mind that we shouldn't replace real world contact with online interaction.
So while you try to beat the clock and wait until the 31st of December to try and write that last post, I will be enjoying some time out and thinking looking forward to hitting the ground running on 2018!
In a way I am writing this post more for my own benefit than anything else, so that there's something on record for me to look back on at the end of 2018 (who knows what will happen by then). Everything is on the blockchain anyway so if you were curious you can certainly look through the wide ranges of things I posted about this year. However, I want to share a few thoughts and plans for steemit in 2018.
First the thoughts:
- It seems that all steemians are created equal, but some are more equal than others (and some are just bots)... but I don't think steemit.com was ever meant to be a utopia, and maybe utopian.io holds some of the answers - we shall wait and see...
- I think that the forces that shape this platform are still trying to find an equilibrium point (this includes the investors and creators), but life is a balancing act the same way a funambulist (tightrope walker) moves forward without ever really being on solid ground.
- I believe the value in the platform is not the SP and SBD (the same reason why money isn't the solution or answer to everything) but the potential for us to connect and interact in a more open and transparent manner that will make communities more global and inclusive.
Most importantly, I believe that we can do better than just a cryptocurrency powered version of facebook, but we have to stop doing the things that we do on other social media platforms if we don't want to just become like all the others that are already out there.
Secondly, the plan(s):
- Reach out to those people that want to make steemit great again (sorry for the Trump reference), and work with them to come up with solutions to problems that we can solve
- Design & build applications to serve the needs of steemians by working alongside community leaders, designers and developers
- Attend Steemfest in 2018 so I can promote the idea of F2F (face-to-face) interactions on Steemit
- Promote the idea of #mental-fitness on Steemit by writing more on the subject
- Help more people find their feet/place on Steemit and introduce more people to the platform
I hope to look back on this list at the end of 2018 and be able to tick most of these things off my list, so that I can aim for even bigger things in 2019!
Thanks to everyone that has been part of my journey so far, I look forward to connecting with you all again in the new year, and will be catching up in person with those of you that will be at the Brisbane meetup organized by @choogirl on the 30th of December :)