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Most of our frustration comes from uncommunicated or unmet expectations. This happens in relationships, families, and communities. It happens with the tools we use and the sites we enjoy.
We can avoid frustration by accurately knowing what actually is.
When I think about the STEEM ecosystem, I see quite a bit of confusion related to Steemit (the company) vs. Steemit.com (the website) vs. SMTs (Smart Media Tokens) and the vision to tokenize the web. When we don't have clarity on reality, it's difficult to align our expectations. When we do align our expectations, we can put our efforts towards shared vision and goals and make much more progress together as a community.
That doesn't mean we all have to agree or have perfect consensus on everything, it just means we should put in efforts to know what the various expectations are so we can better comprehend where our own motivations fit and whether or not we're helping or hurting.
Some of the things we want on Steemit.com (less spam, consistent rewards for quality content, equal opportunities for new and old Steemians, user growth, better site functionality, etc) might actually be in conflict with some other goals of the STEEM ecosystem at this point in time. How will we know? Well, we have to do our best to have an accurate understanding of what is, not just what we perceive to be.
As a witness, I'm working to explain technical things in non-technical ways, and I've been marinating on the SMT white paper and thinking about Ned's vision to tokenize the web. If we expect Steemit.com to be a Facebook or Reddit killer, and we're frustrated at not seeing marketing and other things at this time which would more obviously lead to that destination, it's possible our expectations are out of alignment with reality as it is today based on who is actually contributing most of the code (Steemit, the company).
Personally, I want to see Steemit.com become a household name where people go for community without trolls and an easy onramp to the cryptocurrency future. That said, I also want to ensure my desires are in alignment with reality as it is right now. Without that, what I could be advocating for at the top of my lungs might actually be holding back other more important initiatives at this stage in the STEEM ecosystem development. For more on that, see SteemFest²: Bridging the Gap Between Perception and Reality. If Steemit.com is currently just a reference implementation of a Smart Media Token and the larger vision is to tokenize the web, I have to consider that in my thinking.
Summary:
Let's get a better understanding of what the core developers are doing with regards to the STEEM blockchain, SMTs, and Steemit.com (Condensor). With that, we can set accurate expectations on what should be prioritized regarding short-term and long-term goals. We should also be careful to not confuse the goals of Steemit.com with the goals of the STEEM / SMT ecosystem. By setting accurate expectations, we can move in the same direction as a community to grow the STEEM ecosystem in a prioritized way.
This post is an extension of some quick thoughts I shared on @aggroed's Steem Growth Forum today. Edit: You can now listen to the whole show here.
Note: I haven't touched on STEEM as a cryptocurrency investment token in this post which is another important topic that drives all the value here. I hope more of us can discuss that as investors.
Related:
- Expectations Breed Frustration, Expectancy Brings Joy
- Adjust Your Expectations: Steemit Is Designed as a Lottery
- The Steemit $$$ Challenge: Prove To Yourself Why You Are Here
- Do You Care Too Much About Steemit Blogging Rewards? Find Out Here.
