RE: Steem and Writing – Another Lane on the Highway to Hell?
Thanks for coming here and sharing a professional writer's perspective. I'm an amateur who came from the newspaper industry and feel my skill set has lost relevance. I say that to introduce an idea that has probably already occurred to you: Steemit presents an enticing opportunity for amateurs to be relevant (though not necessarily well-paid) by learning to write for the Steemit community in a conversational way. For instance, I noticed in a comment you wrote:
Isn't this an even more extreme version of capitalist exploitation?
I'd love to see you write a version of this question in a post aimed at opening discussion with the anarchist community, or in the money section, respectfully challenging the same core assertions you do in this post. I think the most exciting potential of Steemit is its ability to host conversations. There are heart-swell-inducing amounts of respect and courtesy on Steemit, especially compared to facebook and the comments sections of articles.
I'll be following you and curious what you conclude about Steemit.
Cheers. I've actually been thinking a lot about the blockchain and the writings of the so-called anarchists about crypto and the like, but so far I've shied away from tackling this head on in writing. It's a bit of a minefield and, like you, one of the things I've appreciated here so far is the general atmosphere of respect and courtesy. I'm a bit worried that might not survive lobbing a grenade into the anarchists' midst; they tend to chuck them back!
I definitely don't recommend grenade chucking! And I definitely relate to the approach of observing. I find myself increasingly interested in Steemit's potential as a conversation tool. Controversy can be a cheaply exploited hook, but is also the keeper of all the good questions. I think you've asked a good question is all. I've found that when I feel like something is off here and no one seems aware of it that within a week it will come out and become a topic for a moment, like the bot wars topic. It may be that this question will ask itself. :)