A number of people who don't understand the true inventiveness and beauty of the Steemit economic system (Steemit isn't a Social Network - It's an Economic System) have worried that it is just a Ponzi scheme.
First off, just look at the definition of a Ponzi scheme - a form of fraud in which belief in the success of a nonexistent enterprise is fostered by the payment of quick returns to the first investors from money invested by later investors. Steemit's vesting system is specifically designed to prevent "payment of quick returns".
Now, it is somewhat of a pyramid scheme . . . . currently -- but so is Social Security, multi-level marketing, etc. But, in the future, even though the economic system doesn't require it . . .
imagine the explosive growth that will happen when Facebook advertising dollars start flowing into Steemit instead . . . .
Facebook hoards its corporate profits. *You* own Steemit -- and by getting in on the ground floor and being the ones who build it up, you are going to be the one who profits!
===========================================================================
Also, please check out the post that I did for my company - Debate of the Week: Mind Uploading, Personal Identity/Survival and Copying People (w/ Sci-Fi recommendations)
I think we'll deff replace reddit in time, but I don't think the platform is even attempting to replace FB, AMP/Synereo is tho... it should be out mid sept :D
It isn't yet because the nice face isn't there yet . . . . Trust me, in six months to a year, Facebook is going to be hearing footsteps (in fact, I hear rumor that Facebook is already blocking Steemit URLs)
for sure FB knows their end is coming, But I have my doubts a site/platform that has been rushed is going to be the one to do it. I love steemit for sure, But I have never been a big user of reddit which has never been a threat to FB, so I don't see how a platform based on reddit could take FB's spot. Reddit has always been a great site and held a significant part of the social media market... so steemit will do great in the long run.
Synereo has been in the development for years and is intended to compete for FB's market share, with comparable user interface, groups , advertising etc etc.
You're actually looking at the wrong things. Duplicating all the Facebook features is pretty easy once you've got your economics handled. Other people may well run in parallel with or replace Steemit but they will run on STEEM -- which is all we care about.