Hi all. 

I've been a long time admirer of Steem and its very forward looking goals. While I've traded Steem and SBD in the past on exchanges and made a bit of profit, I never really got into Steem because the platform didn't seem that mature. There were people promoting ponzi schemes (like bitconnect)  at the time, and there were voting circles upvoting each other to the top of the trending page when the content was subpar. That was just a couple of the many turnoffs that pushed me away from Steem. At the time, I was uncertain where Steem was headed.

Despite what the media will try and tell you, the financial world is changing rapidly, and that change is accelerating, and an innocent little blockchain like Steem is one of the unassuming players at the forefront, even though right now it doesn't seem like it in this altcoin bear market. One thing I know for certain, those who are in the know and have access to Steem development behind the scenes are extremely bullish on Steem, while it seems (to me at least) that the majority who aren't aware of what is happening behind the scenes believe that Steem is dead, or that it was a failed project. Fools. Okay... that's a bit harsh. They're not fools, just suckers for false information and FUD.

Nothing is written in stone, especially in this digital age, and I will always encourage others to own a little silver and gold and be diversified, but Steem is poised to strike in a way that has me intrigued at least, for what that's worth. I'm late to the game, I know, but there has never been a better time to get into Steem. I'll be funding my account and powering up soon, and while I'm in no position to advise people on investments or finances, I would recommend the same for others if they can handle the risk of Steem going down in flames. If you don't understand what you're buying, you're probably a sucker. But that's the nature of crypto right now, lots of hype where none is warranted, and lots of FUD where it doesn't belong. 

Anything is possible, but what I personally care about is what is probable. Steem is gaining real value each day, I know. Don't take my word for it, dig a little and you'll find there are a lot of resources shifting towards Steem behind the scenes, even as the usual crowd of uncertain lemmings power down. HF21/22 definitely grabbed my attention, and if I'm being completely honest the latest hard fork is what gained my attention and interest in actually joining Steem. Whether it works out is besides the point, its the intentions of the changes that are opening doors. 

I like the blogging part of Steem, it's definitely where the bulk of the user base is still focused on, and I'll be blogging from time to time as well, but where I see the real potential in Steem is with the DApps. This is where a large majority of Steem's future value will be, I believe. User content is important and in many cases valuable, but not in the way that DApps can be. There is no timeline for when, and no blueprint in place for the how, and no crystal ball available to reveal exactly who will bring that value, but the why and the where are clear to me now, and I'm on board.

Steem is now on the right track I think, and enough that I am confident in a positive outcome. Not just financially, but the value that Steem can add to the internet and the financial world is enormous. You don't even know. I don't even know. but collectively we will all know in the next two or three years (rough estimate in my mind) whether Steem is all that it's shaping up to be. But just like the internet, No one could foresee 20 years ago where we would be now. The Internet of Things is coming along nicely, and slowly but surely our uses for the Internet grow and mature.

The internet had a rough start, but look where we are now. Steem had a rough start, but look where we are now. When I think of the value of Steem, I'm thinking ahead into the future, and again the price of Steem at present is so cheap that it's crazy for me to not hop on board now. Better late than never, right?

I'm glad to be on board finally, and hopefully in time I can contribute in some small way. I have the utmost respect for those who have stuck it out here since Steem first launched, it takes a lot of patience and faith to support something that by all appearances should be worth a lot, yet is given no quarter by a rabid and inexperienced crypto community that is only interested in pump n' dumps and quick profits. Their loss, your gain, and now my gain as well.

Wish me luck, and I look forward to sharing the journey this community is on. I don't have a crystal ball and we all accept the risks of things not working out, but after everything I've seen so far Steem is clearly the poster child for determination, and that's thanks to some talented devs and a strong community. I know it's true, and so should you.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Wish me luck!

![dsafgdasfgadsfasdfadsf.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/argentsilver/nranVgj3-dsafgdasfgadsfasdfadsf.png)