Hint: It has nothing to do with money.
I don’t know what @Ned, and his minions, want for Steemit, but I’d think the goal would be to make Steemit in to a household name like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are. And with that, make the value of Steem rise to the moon! Houston, we have some problems on the way.
I’ve been active here for about two months and I think it’s long enough for me to give some tough love.
Disclaimer: what comes to the hardcore nerdy stuff, I’m a total noob, but I know my social media. From what I’ve heard, the blockchain technology behind Steem is top notch so that is nothing to worry about. I’ll be focusing on the things on the surface of Steemit platform.
Here are a couple of things to consider while on our way to the moon:
Make it PRETTY!
At this moment, the user interface of Steemit is just down right ugly. Regular Joe looks at the main page for all of three seconds, the same amount of time he uses to decide if he wants to sleep with the blind date his co-worker set up, and decides he’s not interested. We need Joe to get a major boner and buy us drinks (aka. buy Steem) all evening in order to get into our pants.
We are visual creatures and that needs to be taken to account.
Simplicity is good when it’s done right, think about the UI in Nokia Lumia versus the one on Apple iPhone. Get my point?
Nobody knows about Steemit!
Chances are, if you are a normal person, who uses social media every day and have no idea about crypto currencies, you have not heard about Steemit. I got in here out of recommendation from a friend, and I was really sceptical about it. I thought Steemit and Steem were a total scam, until I transferred my first Steem dollars into Steem, then Bitcoin and into my bank account. But by then, I was hooked.
In order to fall in love, people will firstly need to see you and get a little school girl crush.
Does Steemit even have a marketing team?
Make it possible to adjust the fucking thumbnail image!
This is one of the biggest pet peeves on this site for me, I’ve been ranting about it for several times already.
Yes, it’s fine if you only publish some horizontal pictures like price charts or something like that. But if you are into photography, like a lot of us here are, it limits your choice for first picture a lot! You might have a killer vertical portrait but no one is going to open it if the thumbnail only shows a part of the hairline and grey background.
Your Feed
I only follow about 80 people and I’m pretty actively refreshing my feed, but more times than not, I miss some really cool or interesting posts because the feed is so cluttered with resteemed posts. There needs to be a change in this.
Annoying notifications
How is it rational to alert about every fucking new post on your feed, but not alert when someone follows you or resteems your post!?
I’d prefer if I'd got notified when I get a comment, new follower, someone resteems my post, and when someone from a selected list of my favorite people posts something new.
There has been some issues with the notifications for a while and there have been close to none, even that is better than the evil red dot in the corner of the screen all the time.
Searching
I’m not asking to find the meaning of life, just simple things like accounts or maybe help with something.
I’m always put off when I want to search something inside a site and the search is run by Google. Yes, the first results are usually inside Steemit but I feel like it’s an unnecessary detour. Ain't nobody got time for that!
Intergrade all the great ”sister” sites to Steemit itself
I have Steemd.com, Steemdb.com and Steemviz.com all open along with Steemit.com to keep track of likes, follows, resteems and all DEM MILLIONS that are possibly coming my way. It would be really useful to have all these charts and information right inside Steemit.com. Please and thank you.
I think that is enough for today, but I could go on for hours.
Do you have anything to add? Agree, disagree?
I like Steemit, but not yet enough to confess my eternal love and devotion. You have so much unharnessed power and potential. I believe in you. Make me proud.
Ps. did you notice my amazing photoshop skillz on the first image!?
With love, Eve.
yes, they're busy sponsoring a park in the middle of nowhere
Ahhahahahahahahah that was SO good! :'D
Steemit is still in its BETA form. This place is growing bigger and faster than a blue whale. #Steemit2017
How long will it remain in BETA? Progress does seem incredibly slow for a platform that is growing so much so quickly.
Hi Eve, very nicely written! I totally agree with you on all pints. Been here for about a month I think and my major problem is the IPhone App which sucks and what you said about all the sites not being in one... I don't even use steem chat and all the others because it's too much hassle.
This is a great post! You make such a good point about something changing for all of the re-steemed posts. I feel like my home page is cluttered with those! There needs to be a separate tab for re-steemed posts so you can actually see original posts and you don't miss them. I feel as Steemit grows, more people will learn about it. There are many people on Youtube talking about it, and I have Twitter and Instagram accounts dedicated to Steemit, and I'm sharing them every day. So hopefully we'll see these changes soon and I'll be interested to see what the future holds! Thanks for sharing :)
Exactly, I hate it when I miss a post from someone who always has something I like.
Steemit is growing every day, but we have a lot of inactive users too. I think it is partly because people are intrigued by the money aspect, but don't want to stay here because of these irritating things we have to deal with.
Sadly, the chances of seeing Steemit.com improve are pretty slim. Many of us have been asking for some of these improvements since last summer/fall. However, there's always something "more important" to do...other than fix the visual/functional aspects of the flagship social media website for Steem.
Priorities always seem to be out of order around here and "solutions" to things that aren't actually problems seem to get far too much attention (like trying to create some UBI-like, collectivist bullshit). But what else is new?
Best way of mass adoption is by word of mouth. I personally got 6 people to sign up and start using steemit, that know nothing about crypto nor use it. The user interface on the website is very easy to use, anyone can do it! It's all about hype, just get normal people to signup and it will spread like wildfire! :D I remember when facebook started, you had to get a private invitation from someone that was already on. Why did people initially signed up? Hype and because it was something new.
It's not about the product but of howwwww you sellll it!
I knew you'd be on the same page with me on this.
Things could look and function a lot better, but they have done something right, we are here!
Exactly theFacebook was ugly getting started and has been through a lot of growing pains to get to becoming one of the most used websites in the world. If I thought it was not getting better I would sell!
Or you'd talk shit in comment threads, which seems to be the default response for people who feel that way. :D
Regarding all the ReSTEEMS, you may want to try my "hide resteems" script that allows you to toggle resteems on and off when you view a profile or feed page. Since I wrote it, I've used it non-stop and it makes it so much easier to key in on a person's own posts, especially if you're deciding to follow them or just to "catch up" on some of their recent posts you may have missed.
Link: Hide ReSTEEMS + Minnow Post Vote Slider and Past Payout Monetizer Script... and next, here comes SteemTUBE!!! 😲
Regarding notifications, you may want to check out @void's https://steemwatch.com:
"(like trying to create some UBI-like, collectivist bullshit)" you got that right!
I believe it's the 5th time I see you rant about the thumbnail image 😂 You are pretty much spot on with all your suggestions.
Hahaha, you might be right. But it is sooooo annoying!
It's 2017, people are now used to simple interfaces in which everything just works and looks great. Your suggestions are all in fact spot on, but do try to keep this in mind; when Facebook was launched it didn't look as perfect as it does now. So yes, Steemit is still in beta and maybe not fully ready for big mass adoption just yet...
Personally I think that's a blessing in disguise. This gives you the time to perfect your blog and become an established household name here. Your suggestions will surely become reality at some point, until that moment, I'd suggest to just accept that Steemit is still in BETA.
Good points @fitzgibbon.
The "blessing in disguise" is basically how I've seen it all along, especially since Steemit has had steady growth in terms of number of active users in recent months.
I agree with this! I also would love to see a scheduled posts option.
Yes, that would be really useful.
How would you feel about a save format option for posts?
I don't know about you, but I have somewhat of a "cookie cutter" format to my crypto trading posts. It would save me a lot of time with copy/ paste if I had the option to save the general layout that I use for those posts (in terms of where I have the hashtags and dotted lines, etc., for headers and breaks).
Perhaps we could be allotted a few MBs (KBs?) to save one or two formatting/ layout options. I know it would make things a lot smoother for me.
Agree on most points. Regarding the search, this works pretty well.
https://www.asksteem.com/
Cheers
and here is how you hide re-steems:
https://steemit.com/steemit/@alexpmorris/hide-resteems-tampermonkey-script-toggles-feed-and-profile-resteems-now-for-golos-and-steemit
ah, just commented about my script above, then so you had as well, thanks for that! :) lol
Very good points. I would be happy already by improving the search feature.. but I can imagine it won't be enough to attract big crowds to the website.
Don't be so sure. Most people didn't think Facebook would make it. Facebook looked quite useless, especially when there were plenty of other chat services out there. Then there's Twitter which really no one thought would make it. Google was another big surprise.
An online book retailer which everyone thought would 'go by the wayside' has become the largest Internet based company in history -- Amazon.
I am an "old man" of the Internet. I have many more stories of sites which shouldn't have made it.
Thanks for sharing these insights.
Yeah, there needs to be a lot more changes for that. Though I do not mind that the community here is still quite small, feels more homey.
I have to admit, I hated the website when I first joined. That's why I didn't actively use it for a while. Now most issues are things I can withstand instead of enjoying using the website. New users will most likely be scared by few issues with the website design and UI.
Eli ominaisuuksia, joita olen oppinut sietämään mutten nauti ;)
Exactly my friend, exactly.
meep
Thanks meepy
meep
I'm impressed. I've been a fan of your meeping for a long time already and I'm honored for having this conversation. Have good meeps in your future!
meep
I'm impressed by your strength and strong guts. You keep on meeping my frend, keep on meeping!
Improving search would help too.
See my other reply below this post for better search and hide re-steems.
I'll compile all useful links I have found so far into one post to make our steem life easier, but not today :)
I'd pay good steem to hide re-steems...SO ANNOYING!!!
What is going to happen to design? Stay with me and you will see! :)
Aah, interesting interesting!
Ok I can tell you right now. I will redesign whole steemit from ground up :) In series longer than simpsons.
Do it well and I hope the big man hires you :D
No need for that :D I just want to inspire users they will have cool and BEST Steemit website to visit daily :D Follow our group Steemit Designers for updates :)
Wow. Steemit Designers. This is great. A group on Facebook. People can go here and see.
Try to use www.busy.org. It's steemit designed a little bit different. And you can search accounts from the side menu.
In my opinion steemit has terrible marketing, i just randomly saw a youtube video about steemit. Maybe referrals would help increase the amount of people using it.
Photoshop..? That's a steem-brand laptop isn't it? No idea why you switched to an Apple afterwards... ;)
I agree on most of your rant, by the way - I got all geeky recently and read up on the next update and future plans, and I think some of what you're talking about regarding visuals and easy sign-up may be in the post...
I think they need to make it easier to create and connect to communities too, the tags are a little hit-and-miss for my liking.
Yeah I was just comparing the two!
I believe it when I see it. Less talk, more action!
Have you looked at chainbb? It also runs on the steem blockchain, so all our steemit posts are visible there too, but it has a different look. Not sure it's much nicer than here, but it is perhaps easier to find stuff. I signed up there too, but have stuck with the steemit interface for now.
https://beta.chainbb.com/
chainbb is for forum users, that's an entirely different demographic than what steemit aims to be used by
Not sure that the format of a site necessarily defines the demographic, it's just a different user interface which might be easier to use, might not be, might be your thing, might not be, regardless of age, gender or interest.
The reason for posting is purely that the steem ecosystem is evolving and that developments are occurring that may well have an influence on steemit, for example, by incorporating the forums as a "Community Pages" element within steemit - or linked from steemit.
I guess part of the issue is that the sites are sitting on top of the steem blockchain, if you like, so that steemit is solely an interface for that, all our activity on here is visible through alternative means, so it will be interesting to see how the interfaces evolve - we are likely, I suspect, to end up with a number of different platforms all providing access to the steem blockchain, users will be able to interact across platform and therefore choose the interface that works for them.
Excellent points, all of them. I would love to see all these things in the future. I would add to that a way to private message other users within steemit.
And yes, please the thumbnail!
Oh yes, private messages would be great!
Actually many of your suggestion already are on my list: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xdxf8bN45lKplKn4rzujy-y1L5oJtvkdVL2xlaNGejM/edit?usp=sharing
Should I add something?
Excellent points! I would love the dark theme, great for us nocturnal animals :D
Preach it, sister! Spot on with your list as those are my peeves too.
I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in this. Now let just hope that there are some changes coming, sooner rather than later!
I guess Steemit is still a work in progress. Check out my posts if you like, I'm new to Steemit :)
I know and I agree with you. UI is king. Although I think this will catch on eventually and we may already be to the point where it's starting to spread by word of mouth in a way we can't stop!
Preach, girrrrl. You took the words from my keyboard. 👐 also which one of those sites shows you the followers? All or just one of them?
Let we make together #STEEMIT the best decentralized social media platform on the planet!
Fantastic post and agree!
Very good suggestions! I hope the Steemit crew sees this and makes work of it :D
I hope that too! :D
Wow exactly on point with what I was going to post soon! Love your photos and found you through a comment by @steemed-open on this post!
I'll be waiting your post on the subject, you probably have something more to add to this.
And thank you very much! :)
You're welcome!
yes,yes,yes and good article! especially the notification part, there were more notifications when I started.
@eveuncoveredI am starting a podcast where I interview other entrepreneurs, I would like to invite to the inaugural episodes.
The podcasts will be hosted on my youtube account: https://www.youtube.com/nantchev
We talk about what they are doing with their life, business as well as their journey. A casual conversation about entrepreneurship.
Yes, I took notice of your photoshop skills, but you had me with the fries on your shirt on the second. I went to the busy.org link that someone left on a post and they have private message options there, so it should be no big deal to make it that way here.
There is much work to do but I am acuatlly quite happy about the sleep design at the moment. Finding posts is terrible though. Have you ever tried using https://busy.org/? It is not ideal but it looks a bit nicer while browsing through profiles.
You have several points that I totally agree with. I am mentoring several family members and one of the first things that always comes up is how to search. Yes, it's very clunky right now, but with posts like these and many more, I believe User Interface improvements are in the near future,.... I hope
Great post. I think that most people are sheep and it presents a dilemma, where they will just stay where the majority of people are/where they feel comfortable/familiar. Many are just not aware of it, or if they are, they might think it is some kind of scam, or too complicated for them to comprehend. They like to be spoon fed and are largely consumers, not so much creators. I think that making things a bit more inviting would be a great strategy and that the best way we can attract the masses to steemit, is by focusing our creative energy here and withdrawing our support of the major platforms (keep your FB etc profiles but start linking everything back to steemit and stop giving FB original creative content)...upvoted/following :)
The notification of a follow or resteem would be cool. I have been on steemit an year and there has been alot of progress, but not much in the marketing a promotion of steemit.
Good. Agreed. MySpace was more customizable than Facebook. In 2006, I was spending hours customizing my MySpace. Some months later, I started using Facebook and was so sad that they didn't let you edit the HTML. So, I agree that there is so much more Steemit can do. They should have better links or ways to navigate through the platforms and places you mentioned like Steemit, Steemd, and the others. Thanks for the post.
Yep, valid points. I've been complaining too about notifications and feed filtering for a long time, but so far nothing has happened. UI seems to be very low priority for Steemit at this point.
Also language support is something I'd love to see. We need a way to filter out languages that a user doesn't understand.
Yeah, it's pretty stupid to have to scroll through posts in Chinese and Korean, while trying to find something both interesting and in a language I understand.
Hello! Thanks for sharing your knowledge about Steemit tools. It's really helpful :) Good job!
Glad to be of service :)
good insights.
I am in total agreement here and will be sharing this as a way to get this out as far as possible, one page at a time -- thank you.
I agree with so much of this, especially prettying up the interface.
Personally, I like the interface of busy.org, but it's enough work to explain Steemit to newbies without telling them to then go use some other site. It just doesn't make sense to them, not for a while anyway.
Just the price of permissionless innovation?
I noticed Eve, I did
Steemit needs your voice right now. Everything you said about how to improve Steemit for mass appeal is SPOT ON!
Hey Eve, great post I will be following you. Do you know the book [Riveted: The Science of Why Jokes Make Us Laugh, Movies Make Us Cry, and Religion Makes Us Feel One with the Universe]? it also talks about virality. I made a post about it if you have some interest :) see you next time
I like all the points that you have put forward and agree that steemit needs aggressive marketing and a total rehaul in the way they look and function.
I agree with a big part of what you're saying. It is not up to par yet to really attract the general public, which is why I have not yet spread the word to all, only a few geeks/nerds.
A few points, firstly the UI:
I prefer the Nokia Lumia UI, iPhone is just a collection of icons to me. Unfortunately Microsoft was too late to really make an impact.
Now my major gripe; multi-language support. I wrote a post about it some days ago; https://steemit.com/steemit/@blevley/support-communities-with-multi-language-support-a-quick-approach.
To me it is still unfathomable that a global initiative like Steem(it) does not support more than one language.
One other reason I haven't introduced many people yet is the, at times unpredictable, behavior of the whales. While I agree there must be a way to weed out spam and plagiarism, the way it currently works is not ideal.
A anarchistic, decentralized solution like this needs to discuss these items openly and allow everyone to give their input.
Unfortunately there is no central place for a discussion like this, that would be beneficial.
Yep, you nailed it. When my husband talked me into getting on Steemit, I liked the concept but thought it was kind of simple and not very accomodating for all the stuff I wanted to do/know. But...then you make friends. And money. And those are great reasons to stay & choose to "ignore" some of the faults. That said, it sure would be nice if all your suggestions were implemented.
Thanks for writing it down. I could not agree more. Great post!!
p.s. Photoshop skills are awesome, I totally believed you had a Steemit laptop:)
Extremely resteemworthy. You make a lot of valid points that I've never really seen put in so many words. Since it's past seven days, no point wasting my measly little minnowvote but, yeah, more people definitely need to see this.
Especially the parts about notifications (yes, we really do need to be able to customize what notifications we get) and thumbnail of the profile pics (Steemit is already so image-heavy anyway! Why make our profile pics so tiny?)
Marketing shouldn't be the main issue - simply by getting some important celebrities on this platform (even by bribing them in the beginning), you would have a very effective reach. Examples may be instagram girls like Amanda Cerny, comedians like Bill Burr or journalists.
But right now a) the page is pretty ugly and b) the content here is pretty one-sided (mostly crypto), which would scare normal users away.