The language barrier would be biggest thing keeping people in Japan from finding out about and becoming interested in the Steem cryptocurrency, and joining the Steemit social media platform, in my opinion. That is, if existing uncertainty amongst the current user base could be assuaged.
I was here in Japan when Facebook first really exploded and was adopted on a mass level by Japanese. Now it has overtaken the previously ubiquitous and super popular Asian social network "Mixy,". Mixy has been "MySpace'd," in other words, by Facebook. Once a Japanese-speaking user base took hold, there was absolutely no turning back.
I feel if this is ever to happen in regard to Facebook and Steemit in Japan, or at least if a Japanese user base is to be established on Steemit, the site is going to need a much more confident user base. Of course, this kind of goes without saying, and I know the platform is still in beta mode, but is the creation of such a user base likely at this point?
After the huge spike of new users flocking to the site in July/early August, interest seems to have trailed off a bit. With this leveling out, payouts also seem to have leveled out as the currency continues to drop in value. This is not to say this is abnormal, necessarily, but if this currency is intended to grow, internationalization and new users are necessary. I am left wondering, what is the real game plan here? Is there one?
In order to internationalize, people need to start doing business in Steem, bringing more users to the site, and allowing common users to gain more confidence in the currency. Is this happening/going to happen?
As it stands, I think many new users are still extremely skeptical and are cashing out (like myself) without really re-vesting, or sharing the platform with others. Due to my current work situation, I also have been cashing out, but not powering down. I need the money from SBD, but also remain vested in SP. When my financial situation improves, and I can afford to vest even more in Steem Power, I plan to.
I think once business transactions made directly between goods and Steem become more ubiquitous, people will have more confidence in promoting the currency to friends and family, and then the user base will grow. This is what will eventually lead to internationalization.
I am excited about Steem. I don't feel extremely informed, however, as to how decisions are made at a core level, or what steps are being taken to develop the Steem currency and this social media platform, to bring them to the next level. This makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable. Maybe it is just me. Maybe it is a lack of knowledge as to how the system really works. I have read the white paper, watched numerous interviews with the founders, and picked the brains of those who are more knowledgeable than I regarding all things crypto.
I feel like the community could really benefit from some sort of newsletter for IT laymen and common users, like myself. As an anarchist in Japan, I would bust my ass spreading the word amongst the Japanese should my confidence in the coin/platform increase, but to be honest, I am still watching the system to see where it goes. I realize these are not always popular things to say on the Steemit platform, but feel saying them is important.
There are already several Japanese users here, one of whom is my wife, @mslight2016. I am delighted to see others post in Japanese and Chinese, and hope this trend continues. The moment I see Steem being traded on the market like Bitcoin, and not mainly as a "cryptocurrency to trade for Bitcoin and then to dollars," I will be preaching this gospel all the more vehemently in my second langauge, and promoting like crazy. I already have promoted the platform to several friends and family in my closest circles.
If any of you have any news regarding Steem marketplaces, or Steem in Asia, please let me know in the comments. What are your thoughts? Is Steem going to be taken as seriously as Bitcoin someday? Or is it just an interesting and lucrative, if somewhat short-lived and dubious, internet phenomenon?
One thing I will say, and that I am confident of, is that blockchain-based social media is definitely here to stay.
Thanks for reading,
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist residing in Niigata, Japan.
To me, this is a classic chicken/egg problem. People can't be more confident until they know what's going to happen. People's confidence will largely determine what's going to happen.
One thing I just considered this morning: what if the incentive for mass adoption of Steemit is actually low right now due to the higher than normal STEEM dilution rate? In less than a year it will settle down to something around 100% a year, but right now it's much higher than that. I wonder if the influential Steem Power holders are fine with letting things play out organically until those numbers change.
As for a newsletter, what kind of content would you want to see in it? Should it come from Steemit, Inc?
That is a very valid point. I have often thought about the chicken/egg thing as well. I tend to oscillate in my feelings/confidence in Steem, but remain vested, because at the end of the day I am still excited about it. Plus, what it has done for me as a writer and as far as connecting me with like-minded people who create great material should not go unmentioned.
Interesting take on the dilution. I am going to look into that more deeply.
I've gotten more value in terms of relationships, writing skills, communication skills, personal enjoyment, education, etc, etc out of the BTC I used to invest in Steem Power than I ever did having them sit in a paper wallet. I'm quite happy with that transaction.
I think that language barrier is big problem here and it should be resolved in some way. I'm from Finland and there are only 5.4 million people in finland. This means that even if you write best blog ever made in history on in Finnish language no one is going to find it the current system. I can accept that it will not make any money but if no one can even find It is frustrating.
That is frustrating. I am hoping Steem continues to expand so that it will be truly international sometime soon.
Hey,
I am currently getting one prominent japanese guy onto Steemit. He has over 1.000.000 Twitter followers. If I succeed I will let you know!
Good to know!
wow, steem in the rising sun :)
There isn't much content that an average Japanese person would find interesting. Until there is more Japanese content, they won't come in numbers. And since there are likely not any Japanese whales, there will not be high rewards for Japanese content. So where is the monetary incentive?
Potential is there, but that's all.