The Steem value is in freefall and today went down $ 0.50. What were the mistakes that caused this situation? And what can Scorum users learn from what is happening there?
Hi everyone!
I do not know if it's clear from the title, but I'm writing this article with a little of regret. I do it to share with the Scorum community my point of view about what's happening on Steemit and I think will happen to these two blockchain blogging platforms.
Like someone of you reading this post, I have an account on Steemit.
A platform that I discovered about a year ago and in which I invested a lot of time, ideas and resources.
But let's go by order.
I started my adventure on Steemit without much knowledge of what a blog based on blockchain was. I am not a trader or a cryptocurrency expert, I am simply a person interested to learn new things and who gets with enthusiasm significant opportunities. So, for me it was all new and doubtful, but also very intriguing.
Luckily, I met the Italian community of Steempostitalia, a very organized and efficient group, thanks to which I learned the most important rules and started to understand exactly where I was.
So, I became passionate about the network and I put all of myself, working on several fronts, creating two official projects and participating in the instruction of new users who came inexperienced, exactly as it had happened to me.
I have always been positive and enthusiastic, but, going forward, I realized that many things were not going well. I began to notice a certain immobility in the development of the platform and a progressive decline in the quality of shared posts.
I hoped that someone could remedy, at least the most urgent problems, but never changed anything. And yet, the errors were striking, in front of everyone's eyes. I'm not talking about it now in details, just because I want to do it in the next lines, then you'll tell me if I'm wrong.
In July of this year I met Scorum and I immediately loved the network. In fact, I readily thought of founding @scorum-italia, a reference account for my compatriots on which to build the Italian community.
SUPPORT TO THE COMMUNITIES
From that moment, I began to understand many things, some of which really new to me. I had written only a couple of posts to introduce the project before going on vacation and once back home, I would have started at full speed.
But while I was on holiday, one day in August, I received a message on Telegram. It was by @vlad, the Scorum CEO. Initially I thought I had taken too much sun, then I realized that it was true.
For those who know the Scorum Team's modus operandi, there is very little to be surprised about. Now I know that too.
But who has haunted Steemit, knows that it's probably easier to get a call from the Pope, rather than a message on Telegram from Ned. Above all, if you are a mister nobody.
This is the first serious mistake made by the Steemit team: the lack of support to the communities.
There are groups left alone to struggle to get organized, working to instruct users on the production of good quality content, trying to make the network and the token known outside.
In your opinion, they must have or not the support of those who have created the platform? In over a year of activity of the Italian community, this has never happened.
It's not to criticize, each one acts as he likes, with the full right to do so. But it is a fact, this is undeniable.
I do not want to turn these reflections into a sickly sweet eulogy to Scorum and the people working in the Team, so I will not list all the initiatives, projects, interactions that have been there. But I assure you that the presence of people like @vlad, @alextazy, @rina, @olha, @john is really reassuring if you're trying to build something. Whatever happens, having them on the side is the best thing.
NO BOTS, ONLY READERS AND FRIENDS
Another reason for the defeat at which Steemit is going, is the use of the Upvote BOTS. Was this problem really so difficult to see? I believe that my son, who has not yet turned two, would have noticed it too.
The fact is this: because the meritocratic growth on Steemit is really a tough climb, the only way a user has to "earn" or at least to be seen somewhere, is to boost his posts.
The consequences of this system have been simple: lowering of the quality contents level and enormous enrichment of speculative accounts.
So it's not so difficult to see a post with a stupid photo and two lines (sometimes not even those) to get a sumptuous payout. At that point, if I am a user who wants to read something interesting and I find this shitty stuff on the main page, I don't want to continue participating.
Here on Scorum, however, I was positively impressed by the total absence of automation. This feature encourages the interaction, beginning of collaborations between members or groups, and growth of the most deserving users. No one who wants to use his blog to make vain posts has hope to grow or speculate, because when it happened, there was always someone who intervened immediately.
Result: brilliant and accurate articles, new users who are passionate and start writing doing their best. With these premises, it's reasonable to think that we can build an important project.
EFFICIENT ANTIPLAGIARISM SYSTEM
Plagiarism is a big problem, immediately faced by the Scorum Team, which has introduced the obligatory uniqueness check since Update 4.0. Simply, the system reduces rewards value according to the percentage of uniqueness. And it works very well.
Even before this great innovation, the commitment of big users like @nhl, @tales and @philnewton was already underway. In fact, there are very few cases in which a post patently copied has obtained good rewards.
On Steemit, there's the @cheetah Team, they get the comment to the post but it's sufficient pretend nothing and you can go on. Sometimes the flags start by @steemcleaners, but only when the cases are striking. Spun and abuse are unfortunately common. But why should I read there something there that I can find somewhere else? Another fundamental point sadly neglected.
ROADMAP AND UPDATES
To have success, a project needs a basic plan, even better if a roadmap exists and is public. This means taking a commitment with the members and doing their utmost to try to complete it. I believe it's a sign of responsibility and a demonstration of attention to the work that is being done.
Exactly what happens on Scorum, where there is a well-defined route that goes on, thanks to continuous updates and development of ideas and initiatives. Not by chance, we are impatiently waiting for the launch of the Betting Exchange, the next novelty, that will surely make the network known to new fans.
Unfortunately for Steemit, however, no one knows the plans, either long or short term. Someone had talked about SMT, an innovation that could give a helping hand to the communities. But nobody knows yet when and if will be introduced. The latest update, HF20, was highly awaited, because there had been no news for almost two years. Nevetheless, it has not brought significant improvements, leaving many users disappointed. Really a pity, and yet things to settle there were...
Are you still surprised by this shocking Steem fall? Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality.
These are just some of the issues that I wanted to compare, also there would be others but I don't want to press, indeed, I would like the situation could change, because primarily me and many talented friends have invested so much energy for make growin' up the Steemit platform.
With the hope that conditions will improve, in the meantime, I enjoy Scorum.
Let me know in the comments what's your opinion about it, both if you agree with my observations, both if you are not.
Greetings to everyone!
Girolamo
Follow me and @scorum-italia
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