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<p>Steem can do what other blockchain projects have not done before - bring a wide range of artists, writers, and creators to the field who are able to focus on their passion. So many people in blockchain projects are also artists and writers, but as a community we tend to focus on the technology and art takes a backseat. But to truly incorporate blockchain technology into our way of life, we need ways to easily engage with the technology and do so at the intersection of our skills and our passions.</p>
<p>Let’s take the Gaming Industry for example. Content creators are driving the game industry forward by not only purchasing the products, but creating media around them both by reporting new developments and creating videos of themselves playing the games. While watching people play games isn't everyone's cup of tea there's not denying (especially if you look at YouTube subscriptions) that people like to watch others play games. Gaming has taken its place as a major player in the entertainment industry.</p>
<p>The challenge for content creators though is how do they get paid for devoting themselves to their passion.</p>
<p>YouTube's monetization model does not ensure that content creators get paid. There's a huge amount of power that is outside the content creator's hands.</p>
<p>One big issue that comes up fairly frequently is digital rights management. In YouTube’s automated system, If your video gets flagged for copyright issues, your video automatically gets taken down. Networks have just compulsively flagged accounts before, even if they were in the wrong. If you challenge a flag, you risk a mark against your account and potentially the removal of your content from the platform. This creates a precarious position for content creators. This has even caused problems when the content creators are the original source for content!</p>
<p>A little while ago, Fox aired an episode of Family Guy that used gameplay footage from YouTuber's account that had been posted 7 years ago.. The content aired on TV without any communication or notification to the youtuber. And to make matters worse, the automated system on Youtube flagged the creator’s account account and the original video that they had created was removed!</p>
<p>Did you get that? Fox STOLE their content and then *their* video was removed for stealing. Can you imagine how frustrating it is to be stolen from then punished for being stolen from?</p>
<p>This proves that while we’ve come forward leaps and bounds in technology and resources in the world, but we still hold to some pretty archaic ways that companies make money - or more accurately, how we create value in the world and how we reward it. </p>
<p>Watching industry deals and sponsorship in new gaming media is kind of painful. Who doesn’t want to laugh when your favourite podcaster stops to read the copy of an ad? We filter down the quality of the content we’re producing to survive. No hate to those who take sponsorships, do what you gotta do to survive. But if you’re generating thousands of likes on your content and capturing the attention of audiences, wouldn't it be amazing if all those likes just translated directly to money, ensuring you benefit from the attention and not just the platforms?</p>
<p>Twitch is another video platform that focuses on live streaming. Once upon a time, Twitch was a subsection of an entirely different site called “Justin.tv”.  Once they saw how popular the gaming broadcasts were though, they dropped the rest of their business plan and rebranded to focus their attention solely on Twitch.</p>
<p>Their model tries to compensate content creators through subscriptions and donations, but you can still have your work or content banned from their site. They also have a fairly suspicious way of deciding which games you can and cannot stream. Games that are graphics with violence and a little bit of nudity can be shared while games that show sexuality (with consent) can be banned. It seems strange that violence would be considered less harmful to society than consensual sexuality.</p>
<p>Creators who are searching for a more direct relationship with their audiences have also been turning to Patreon to start making careers out of their work. Patreon is a website that lets you set up a recurring payment to artists and content creators either monthly or for every piece of work they complete. It takes an old idea (patronage) and brings it forward to this new age. But unless people know about you, there’s not really a way for them to stumble upon you. Patreon isn’t really a site to “hang out” at.</p>
<p><strong>Enter Steem</strong></p>
<p>Steem changes the game. With a devoted following, content creators can earn money from their fans with a simple upvote. Unlike other platforms, Steem has brought money into the fold by creating a way for everyone - whether you have money or not - to help support your favourite content creators.</p>
<p>This can revolutionize the way that people do marketing, entrepreneurship, and  more. Social media tech companies have relied heavily on backwards money making models. They get users and then try to monetize that by advertising to them, decreasing the value of the platform in the process.</p>
<p>SteemIt approaches the question head on by offering compensation upfront to content creators and incentivizing curation of that content. There's been a lot questions around spam, bots, and who gets the most attention on Steem but by and large it is a system that I believe is heading steadily towards greater value and quality. I've received some of the most amazing learning from things like Twitter, where people talk about what's important to them and how they view the world. Unfortunately there, increased visibility doesn't always create increased opportunity or resources.</p>
<p><strong>What Steem needs</strong></p>
<p>Right now, there are a few tools that Steem needs to really take on the likes of YouTube, Twitch, and Patreon.</p>
<p>First up, our FOLLOW BUTTON. We’ve got it, now we’ve got to be able to use it! Being able to curate the content that I see on SteemIt by following my favourite writers and being able to view their updates in one place is a powerful tool that we’re all waiting for with baited breath.</p>
<p>Second up, uploading. Now granted, we want to be mindful that what goes on the blockchain stays on the blockchain. Once you understand that, having a way to upload content directly to SteemIt would be pretty amazing. As it stands, I can host a livestream by scheduling it on YouTube and posting the link into my Steem post but that ensures I’m still beholden to YouTube’s tools rather than just being able to focus on my Steem community.</p>
<p>Third, intentional cultivation of tags and topics. If more of us dedicate time to cultivating the quality of our favourite tags, we'll be unstoppable. Seeking out those posting in them, offering them comments on their work, upvoting them, and in general making sure those places are hubs for conversation will help strengthen the Steem community and ensure quality content producers stick around to the platform long term.</p>
<p>I’ve no doubt that Steem is a game-changer for content creators. And while I’ve used the gaming industry pretty heavily for this post, what I’ve said can apply to countless other industries where our tools for rewarding value contributed have been pretty backwards. I’m excited to see where this journey is going to lead us! </p>