Around this time last year, an obscure blockchain project known as Steemit beta was released to the world. The project was a decentralized social network that aimed to disrupt the traditional networks by leveraging the attention economy in a way that promised to benefit all parties involved in social media.

If you are on any of the other social networks then you need to add Steemit to your social media life.

Myself, I decided I would participate in a experiment; a one year commitment to a brand new platform that promised to change the way the world engaged in social media. I did not know what to expect, but given my attitude toward social media at the time, I didn't hope for much.

What I never expected was just how completely this social network would upend and change my life, in all positive ways.

Note: For more information regarding the technical aspects of Steemit, read the White Paper or the Steemit FAQ for more information. This piece will not cover that.

"What is Steemit?"

Steemit is more than just your average social network. It leverages the attention economy to generate value for content creators, curators and commenters while incentivizing action and interaction within the global online community. It gives back the value provided by the attention of the users of a network instead of monetizing it for a bottom line.

So you can think of Steemit like any other social network. Just remember: any time you post content or click 'like' on every other social network, the value you generate is sent to the company and never shared with you.

But how Steemit really shines is as virtual marketplace of ideas with a very real world impact. For example, on July 16th of this year the design collective @hitheryon with the assistance of the Steemit community, successfully completed the first crowdfunded design project Steem Park in the Herbert Von King Park in Brooklyn, NY.

That should make any independent designer or architect sit up and take notice. Steemit can be more than just a social network, it can be an online portfolio of professional work and source of crowdfunding for any project.

Steemit is a lot of things to a lot of people.

What I Found on Steemit that I Find Nowhere Else?

Other social networks do not provide you with an encrypted digital wallet where you can manage the monetary rewards you earn, because no other social network even considers sharing profit with the users.

Since there is no sharing of profit with the users who generate the valuable content in the first place, there's no need for wallets or other ways to empower the end user. Stickers, trophies and other gamification techniques take the place of real world value on these platforms, and users are rewarded with these meaningless digital novelties while the centralized companies behind the platforms reap the real world rewards.

Censorship Resistant... To a Point

Other networks utilize moderators to enforce community guidelines, sometimes by banning offending users or otherwise restricting their behavior on the platform for a time. Often, this is done arbitrarily.

But on Steemit, there is virtually no censorship. What exists instead is a reputation system that increases with every up vote from the community. If a person begins to behave like a bad actor, the community can also down vote and begin to reduce his reputation score.

If a rep score falls low enough, the posts and comments of that user will be "grayed" out, or hidden, from other members of the platform. But as a censorship resistant platform, any member can click on the "grayed" out comment or post to see it. There is no permanent delete button, and the consequences of bad behavior are handled by the community through voting and awareness.

Try as hard as you can, you'll never find a social network that is as unapologetically censorship-resistant as Steemit.

It's a Platform for the People

This is a platform that is really for everyone, from any walk of life. From Herpetology (the study of snakes and reptiles - ( @herpetologyguy ) to general science( @justtryme90 ), travel and food( @knozaki2015 ), and an ever-growing repository of the arts, Steemit can be for any and everyone.

The platform isn’t shaped to appeal to one demographic, instead it is designed to allow for the natural growth of communities around subjects. As a result, the only barrier to entry here is signing up and keeping your password safe.

The rest you can and will learn by using the platform and maybe also joining steemit.chat where you can get direct help from other community members.

Among those that I follow or follow me, there are scientists, engineers, teachers, security guards, technology enthusiasts, artists, and many more. You are just as welcomed to use the platform if you are a marketer or a stay at home dad. This is a place where investors and soccer moms might discourse about anarchism, governance models, or the latest @lordvader post.

Over the last year, I have learned that it doesn't matter where you come from economically or geographically, this is a place that welcomes all to the same opportunities.

The Real Cost of Steemit

On the surface there appears to be no cost to joining Steemit. At least, no monetary cost.

You won’t be asked to give currency (though that is surely an available option), but not all costs are monetary ones. To really reap the benefit of what Steemit offers, you have to dig deep, consistently produce quality content, and learn how to network to grow your relationships and hopefully your audience as well.

This is what is known as sweat equity, and if you’re willing to put in the time to develop your account and voice, that sweat equity can pay off.

During the course of the last year, I have noticed that those who consistently participate are generally more rewarded, while those who do not can still be rewarded but have trouble with traction or building audiences.

In the marketplace of ideas, you never know what'll be a hit.

There's Never a "Too Late" for Steemit

This day in July 2016, Alexa website rankings had Steemit at 21,646. This is up from 62,429 just 10 days prior.

Today, July 19, 2017 sees Steemit ranked at 2,106. As a global website, that is more than "not bad," it's downright amazing!

In the ever adapting world of technology, platforms like Steemit will very soon no longer be the exception but the rule. Do you really want to sit on the sidelines when you can at least make an account and see why this new platform has everyone so excited?

If you are an individual:

Steemit is the go-to place to "earn-while-you-learn". Whether it is to join the community or develop your personal writing passions, this is the platform that allows you submit work into a robust marketplace of ideas. The community of comments often helps authors refine their approach and improve their performance, all while potentially earning crypto themselves. In the entirety of social media, it's the only win-win currently available.

Steemit is a chance for the individual to build up a professional portfolio or an awesome cadre of comrades, all while potentially earning all along the way.

It isn't just for hardcore bloggers who have a following of thousands. It's for any individual who wants to participate in a community that values the network users, their privacy, and their prerogative of free expression and speech.

If you are a professional:

Not only is Steemit a great place to earn while you learn, it's a great place to learn and refine.

If you are a designer, artist, musician, or other creative professional, this platform presents an awesome opportunity to not only monetize those pieces in your portfolio, but to receive critical feedback from Steemit members from around the world that can help you refine your work or even lead to further work.

There is, after all, something called Steem Gigs that exists on Steemit and allows the community members to essentially market their skills and take microjobs from other community members who may need commissioned artwork or even transcription services.

All of this consistent development of Tools for the platform convinces me that there will probably never be a time where it is "too late" to join the community and start participating.

You Aren't Who you Think you are

If someone had given you a crystal ball 10 or 15 years ago and showed you what social media would become and the prominence to which it would rise in markets, you obviously would have bought stock in those companies.

Similarly, if someone had given me a crystal ball back then and told me that I'd develop into the kind of writer who moves between poetry, short stories, crypto-currencies and reviews, I'd have laughed. I have always written poetry and music, so that part would make sense, but the rest of it would seem completely out of character for me.

But the more I consumed content through Steemit, the more inspired I became to learn even more about different topics. There's no lack of cryptocurrency articles on the platform, so after a while I no longer felt intimidated by new projects with crazy coin names. Instead, I dug in and kept learning and eventually started trading cryptocurrencies myself.

After all, isn't that what being your own banker is all about?

Before Steemit, I had no idea that I was an aspiring day trader, short story writer, poetry slam organizer or product/services reviewer.

I figured that out over my first year on Steemit.

The Most Important Lesson Learned

If the years ahead are anything like this last year, I have no idea who I will be in a few years time. Already I am vastly different as a result of my participation on Steemit, and I anticipate that this will continue to be the case.

But out of everything I learned from this last year on a decentralized, censorship-resistant social network that pays me for my time and participation, the biggest lesson learned is that there is a voice in each of us.

That voice needs your attention and your care. It needs to be nurtured so that it can grow strong. You do that by consistently using it, though that can be hard to do in every day normal life. But on Steemit, it's exactly the kind of attitude that people respond to and love.

There's a voice inside of you, and it is invaluable. The other great lesson from Steemit is that once you understand just how valuable your voice is, you'll never again be satisfied to just 'give' it away so others can benefit instead of you.

After a year of using your voice, you may never want to go back to traditional social networks again.

Lesson learned.

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@prufarchy

images sourced from Pixabay.com