Is Steemit still a “thing” is what the editorial board at Crypto Trader News asked me. They know that I’m an early adopter of the platform, in fact, I will be celebrating three years in about a week. I could speak about how I’ve built a network of friends; how it was my first real bridge into the world of crypto; how my earnings helped me reach financial stepping stones that might not otherwise be available. But I would also have to admit that I’ve been woefully absent from the Steemit mothership in pursuit of other things and yet I use the Steem blockchain quite often. How is this possible?
As I revisited and explored Steemit.com, I was very happy to find old friends and new content but scrolling through the feed felt like an endless supply of micro blogs and crap content. I soon came to realize that the mothership had turned into a catchall for the many apps that are being developed on their blockchain.
If you go to Steem Projects, they have a list of nearly 500 apps, sites and tools built by the Steemit community. Visit Steem Apps and you will see how many active users and transactions are made daily and a list of 78 apps. Without actually diving into all 78, I’m going to highlight a short list of apps.
Content Creation
As a content creator, we are always seeking an audience and it’s a huge bonus when our content actually has the potential to expand our following and earn from our work.
Partiko
Users can create posts on the Partiko app. These content creations are saved on the Steem blockchain and concurrently earn STEEM and Partiko points. There are several ways to earn Partiko points beyond content creation. They include votes, comments, inviting friends, and watching ads.
PALnet
Similar to Partiko, PALnet is a layered user interface that leverages the Steem blockchain but has its own token. Their premise is Peace, Abundance and Liberty (PAL).
DTube
DTube is an alternative to YouTube with the exception of being a censorship resistant site and the potential for earnings right away. It stores movies using IPFS and uses the Steem blockchain for its ledger.
Games
The gaming world is a multi-billion dollar industry and game development on the Steem blockchain is no exception. Here are two games that have been launched.
DrugWars
According to a tweet, DrugWars is a simulation and strategy Steem-based game that allows you to earn money as well as make enemies. Join a team or go solo, increase your production, and battle. It’s quite addictive.
Steem Monsters
This is a decentralized card game much like Hearthstone and Magic the Gathering. Build your deck and let the strongest cards battle. There are tournaments but also the ability to sell, trade or gift cards.
Micro-Blogging
Micro-blogging might be things like a quick message or sharing an image, be it a photo, meme or gif; think Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. They don’t usually make up a lot of words or bandwidth.
APPICS
APPICS uses a decentralized structure and allows users to “establish the quality of the network” through a voting feature and the opportunity to earn. It’s visuals are appealing and the closest thing that it can be compared to is an Instagram alternative.
Actifit
Actifit is a DApp that rewards the user for everyday activities and exercise. Available on Android and iOS, it tracks your movement, has reminders and allows you to earn Actifit (AFIT) tokens. I’ve listed this under microblogging because you can push your daily achievement to the Steem blockchain and earn STEEM as well. The community is also quite active on Twitter with their #seven77 pushup challenge.
Miscellaneous
Share2Steem
This is a really cool cross-chain application that allows users to leverage their traditional social media, specifically Instagram, YouTube and Twitter, and post it on the Steem blockchain for STEEM earnings. It’s like a two-for when it comes to reaching your entire audience.
Steem Engine
I think an impressive accomplishment is Steem Engine. It is a smart contracts side-chain platform for the Steem blockchain that allows users to create custom tokens, or anything else that can be done with a blockchain-based smart contract.
Fellow Steemian @captainbob answered my question is Steemit is still a thing? Here’s what he said: “Simple response: The Steem blockchain is certainly still a thing. Steemit as an app is a dying interface as the current generation lives and dies by their mobile devices thus making things like @partiko a much bigger thing :)”
I have mixed reactions. As mentioned earlier, Steemit.com seems to be a catch-all for so many apps, both launched and in development. It’s not easy to navigate around the mothership when looking for quality content unless you’re seeking out specific categories (tags) and I often turn to apps for a quick post. But as far as answering the question… Yes, Steemit is still a thing. You should check it out.
