A couple of years ago, I was advised to read a book called Netocracy - The New Power Elite and Life After Capitalism. The reason for the advice was because; ...it will give you a sense of what is going on in the world and your place in it.
The book is an incredible read, and is made all the more amazing because it was originally written in the year 2000. A time when Amazon stocks were being used as toilet paper; and the idea of internet broadband, was the stuff of a madman's dreams.
In the 2 short years since I read this book, I have seen more and more predictions come true; the world the authors; Alexander Bard and Jan Soderqvist portray, is beginning to reveal itself on a grand scale; almost everyday, something else comes true thatNetocracy predicted.
It can be reasonably argued, that the authors predicted, Myspace, Facebook and Twitter, along with the foretelling of the tax or rather non-tax implications of the new digital economy regarding companies like Google and Amazon. Netocracy also predicted the ability of the individual to trade across the globe, with no more restrictions than equipment and bandwidth.
The driving point of the book, is that we are moving, or rather, have already moved, from the Capitalist paradigm, to that of the Informationalist paradigm. The Netocracy argues that the virtual world will grow in importance, until the point that our online desires are the dominant forces shaping the world we live in.
There are two stages in a revolution, this isn't happening; this mustn't happen!
Bard & Soderqvist, paint a picture in which finance, in the shape of capital, has been replaced by attention as the global currency. In this future they tell us that not only will the attention of the people be what everyone is vying for, but in the world of the netocrat, identity and trust are commodities to be acquired, built upon and then carefully nurtured.
In that sense Netocracy didn't just predict Steemit, it gave us a glimpse into the future we now live in, a time where an individual is no longer restricted by neither, cultural, geographical, or geopolitical borders. The internet along with its filigreed networks, integrated payment systems, and vast information silos, has rendered the Free Market, truly free.
The Dawn Of The Netocrat
netocrat
n. The netocrat has created and not inherited his social identity. He/she is self-made in the most fundamental meaning of the word. The netocrat has money but it is a means and not an end goal. He/she outsmarts the capitalist by ruling the networks that now rule the world. The netocrat is an artistic and political manipulator who has turned networking into an art form.
Those who can harness global networks of information and master new forms of communication will inherit the power. They are the Netocrats.
--Netocracy
Our social sphere is evolving, the ever increasing reliance of online communication means that the importance of trust in the individual, is growing exponentially alongside our needs. As the words above imply; you do not inherit your social identity in the same way you do in the real world.
Offline your social identity may be influenced by your accent, skin colour, place of birth, the neighbourhood you live in, amount of money you and/or your parents have, alongside a whole host of other variables. On the internet, whether you're on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook or Steemit, you start from scratch.
This a very important point and one that Bard & Soderqvist give no small amount of page space to. The Netocracy places a high premium on identity and reputation; at first this may seem at odds, with our pseudo-anonymous world of cryptocurrency and the internet at large. It is easy for you to signup to a multitude of different social platforms and create an identity out of thin air. Most of us have built dozens of identities for various sites and portals.
With each new platform, whether it be gaming, educational or social, we create identities, and in the most part, we treat those identities as throw away items, barely giving thought to what we've created. The reputation you garner when you step into your new online identity, is in most cases, an arbitrary, intangible asset, if it is positive, it has as much or as little, value as a negative reputation.
Facebook is unique in the social spectrum, in that the identity you create on their platform, is at the very least a window to your offline persona. Of course you could make up a name and set up a Facebook profile that was nothing like you in the real world, however you will still take care of that identity, like you never could for JazzzyBear999 or LollyLucyPops6821.
So in that regard, a Facebook identity, although closer to your own identity, is not the same as a Steemit one. The profile you create on Steemit, and the reputation you build up on the site, is much more akin to the identity and reputation Bard & Soderqvist talked about in the Netocracy.
Meaning you will carry your Steemit identity with you for a long time, yet to come, with it, you will bring a reputation, one not inherited; rather moulded by your actions.
This is what is meant by an identity in the new netocracy.
I Am Me
...it is reputation, or capital of trust that is the network's most important asset; with the help of reputation, attention is attracted to the networks, and there is a great shortage of attention, rather than money on the net. Money will follow attention, and not vice versa. Attention is the only hard currency in the virtual world. The strategy and logic of the netocracy are therefore attentionalist rather than capitalist.
--Netocracy
Since time and memorial, trust and reputation have always been important in human societies all over the world. It is an unchanging constant, now and for the foreseeable future, people and organisations with high levels of trust and reputation, will do more business than their lower trusted counterparts.
In feudal times, the word of a Knight of the realm, or a gentlemen were sacrosanct, they meant more than the words spoken, they stood for a bond of trust that had been adhered to by them and their families for generations. Such a person would have taken advantage of the priveledged networks they had access to; such people always found it easy to acquire loans and finance for their ventures.
When we moved from feudalism into the Capitalist paradigm, corporations attempted to inherit the trust of the previous era the only way they could; through marketing slogans such as...
...a bank you can trust
In our new informationalist paradigm, the focus of trust and reputation is shifting onto the individual, so much so that in some cases reputations can be bought for a fee. An ebay seller with a 5 star reputation, will sell more than one with 2 stars, so it appears prudent to try and purchase a ready made rep.
Individuals who have been involved in selling online, have realised that reputation building is key to financial success. Often private vendors will take a loss on an irate, or even fraudulent customer, just to keep their reputation points high. For the rest of us, this new notion of having an identifiable online persona, that carries with it trust and reputation, is completely new.
What we do, and how we behave online will determine our place in netocratic society; where before the power elite had their gentleman's clubs and sorieties. The new elite have their social platforms and private chat rooms.
Steemit is one of the nodes for the new elite, just like ebay, Shoppify, and affiliate advertising, Steemit gives the indivdual the chance of success once reserved only for privileged and legislated corporations, and with that success, comes the chance to achieve what was beyond the realm of the average citizen just a couple of decades ago.
It is an important distinction in grouping Steemit with commercial websites, because like ebay, and others like it, your finances are intrinsically linked to your identity. Your ongoing presence in the Steemosphere (copyright Steemed), will hopefully lead to a growing Steem Power and Steem Dollar balance, and the last thing you want to do, is to throw it away by ruining your reputation.
The netocrat realises the value and power in reputation, and therefore does everything in their power to protect their good standing.
Attention Seeking In A Digital Universe
The dynamic that already exists both within and between the different networks is forcing an entirely new prioritization in the game for status and power: careful care of one's own trademark. The players simply cannot afford to be seen in any sleazy old context, because ten they would lose all credibility.
--Netocracy
Reputation leads to attention, and because of the dual nature of financial rewards on Steemit, it is not just the content producers that are seeking attention, it is the curators as well.
A Steemian's reputation for voting on good content early, and making intelligent, informed and or witty comments, has the potential to be just as valuable as a reputation built on providing quality content. In fact the level of competition for attention among the Steemit Witnesses, and those that have Witness aspirations, is suitably fierce.
Content producers at the moment are vying for the attention of the Whales, because their votes carry the biggest rewards. However to focus on that, is to miss the bigger picture, it is far better to gain the attention of 600 minnows, than it is of 10 Whales, regardless of financial reward.
The reason for this is because a reputation is built on the trust of the many, not the few, the financial power of the Whales will be mitigated, if not completely diluted over time. In years to come, for those who have built their reputations, the rewards will be abundant.
We have already seen this on a microscale, when Steemians like @fyrstikken, @dollarvigilante and perhaps to a lesser extent @falkvinge, have benefited from their previously impressive online reputations.
As @dan said in his article; Steemit's Evil Plan for Cryptocurrency World Domination, Steemit.com is just the beginning, the Steem blockchain is now there for anyone to use. In the future, both near and far, amazing innovation will be added to the Steemosphere via new sidechains.
Steemit's place in the new netocracy is set, it is an information portal, social media platform and payment system all in one and with it comes a new stable currency, which at once offers a financial system and a reputation accounting ledger.
A Steemit account provides an online identifier, that links the account unarguably to the user and therefore carries a reputation with it; can you imagine who will be best placed to take advantage of new Steem sidechain innovations?
Imagine for a moment if you will; a Steem escrow service, whereby funds are held in trust whenever there is a deal happening between two or more Steemians. In this instance, only the most trusted users would be called upon to act as token holders.
Without looking into the future, we can already see that having a trusted Steemit account is an asset not to be taken lightly. With a good reputation you are more likely to get invited into the many hidden clubs that are formulating behind the scenes.
In netocratic society, enhanced reputations, will lead to enhanced opportunities.
Final Analysis - Lessons In Rep Building
So now it is down to us, everybody who joins Steemit, has been given a ticket to dine at the table of the netocrats. It would be wise not to take this for granted, as the ticket may not always be available to all. The Netocracy states that platforms such as Steemit, will raise their barriers to entry, eventually shutting out the masses, lest they corrupt it. So now is the time to make busy and build your reputation.
Your reputation that you are building here, can and will be taken with you elsewhere, you are the architect of your own destiny, in the short-term there may be scant reward. However persistence, and with careful diligence you can build any reputation you care to.
Look upon Steemit as a chance to start a reputation that you carry with you for years to come, building upon it, decide what you want to be known for, and more importantly, what you don't; then simply make it so.
We are the curators of our own reputations, good and bad deeds are marked against us, however unlike ebay's handy star system, we often are unaware of our standing. Instead we can gauge our position by the opportunities that we either attain or simply pass us by.
As a result of the ongoing paradigm shift and the transition from capitalism to informationalism, power is leaving the salons of the bourgeoisie and moving into the virtual world, where a new elite, the netocracy, is ready to take over.
--Netocracy
This is our virtual world, we are the citizens-in-waiting, now it is our time to shine, to take the place of the old guard. We are part of the informationalist revolution, we are the future...
...we are the netocrats; so onward the revolution!
HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR PLACE IN THE NEW NETOCRACY? IS YOUR REPUTATION MORE VALUABLE TO YOU THAN MONEY? LET ME KNOW BELOW!
Cryptogee