I like to keep an eye on how this platform is progressing. I'm very close to my second anniversary and from the start I was excited by its potential to change the world. In that time a lot has changed, but we still have a long way to go.

I keep checking the [web stats](https://hypestat.com/info/steemit.com). These may not tell the whole story, but they show trends in visitors. Recently the Steemit site was recovering from a long slump, but it's started slipping again in the last few days. We can all help by linking to content here from other sites. Hypestat shows no links from Google+ and some other sites. I find that hard to believe as I post some there.

![Hypestat](https://img.esteem.ws/xtautf7h2k.png) 

I also check any news stories mentioning Steemit.
* Steemit content director Andy Levine (@andrarchy, misnamed as Adam in the article) is quoted in a [Forbes article](https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencoleman/2018/07/30/hidden-trends-inside-the-explosive-9-2b-projected-blockchain-arena/#168121a326c1) on blockchain trends saying that scaling is going to become a bigger issue. It does seem that Steem is more scalable than a lot of the alternatives. 
* On topic of scaling @kus-knee [posted](/bitshares/@kus-knee/the-old-dog-reports-this-triumvirate-totally-dominates-the-blockchain-world) with a link to [Block'tivity](https://blocktivity.info/) that shows the most active blockchains. Steem is third behind EOS and BTS that happen to be created by the same team.
* There's an in-depth interview with @andrarchy on [Coin Central](https://coincentral.com/interview-with-andy-levine-on-steem-today-and-tomorrow/). He emphasises that Steem is about more than just Steemit. We have lots of other services built on it already. [Here's part 2](https://coincentral.com/part-2-interview-with-andy-levine-on-steem-today-and-tomorrow/). This covers communities and SMTs. We've been hearing about those for nearly a year so I hope we get to see them soon.
* Finally there's this [introduction to Steemit](https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-does-steemit-work/) on Make Use Of. It's fairly superficial and has some wrong information such as saying you have to host your images elsewhere. That hasn't been true in a long while. I tried leaving a comment to correct this, but it's not showing up yet.

The Steem price is not great at the moment, but everything is dropping today. We need to keep the momentum to build the userbase and that will add value. Pure speculation is likely to be very volatile. The Bitthumb exchange keeps doing odd things. It's currently got massive volume, but a crazy Steem price that is not being considered for what [Coinmarketcap](https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/steem/#markets) shows. Does anyone know what is going on there?

![Coinmarketcap](https://img.esteem.ws/fipikobxck.png)

An important topic is retaining users. I've seen some people drift away when they feel Steemit is not working for them. My feeling is that you do need to commit to it and build the communities you want. I've been part of the running community and also the musicians. That means I get lots of content that I want to see and those people engage with my posts. I brought @dickturpin here after getting to know him in the Linux world. He hasn't been active lately and [posted on Google+](https://plus.google.com/100694334141523232451/posts/bram8WPwzef) that he may withdraw as he doesn't have the time to post here. I can appreciate that. You have to spend your valuable time where you get the best results and that is not always about making money. It's a fact that most users will not get rich here, but they can still make more than they would elsewhere. Ultimately it's about the people and the connections they make.

Thanks for reading. Steem on!
 
<p><b><div class="pull-left"><img src="https://steevc.keybase.pub/steemit/steevc.png"></div>
I'm Steve, the geeky guitarist. </b><ul><li>I'll buy <a href="https://steemit.com/guitar/@steevc/steem-for-picks">guitar picks for Steem Dollars</a></li>
<li>Get a <a href="https://links.wirexapp.com/MpmB/4bTIQcutbK?action=affiliate-register&code=bjRZpvkK8UOQ2wkKVKEg2w">Wirex Debit Card</a> to spend your crypto.</li>
<li>Steemians can get <a href="/byteball/@steevc/byteball-are-doing-an-airdrop-for-steemians">Byteball airdrop</a></li>
<li>Get some passive income with <a href="https://www.mannabase.com/?ref=ej74g43dgi">Mannabase</a></li>
<li>If this post is over seven days old you can vote up one of my newer posts to reward me.</li></ul>
<p><b>Spam comments may be flagged. Beware of the <a href="https://steemit.com/steemit/@katharsisdrill/some-splendid-advice-on-commenting">Commentphant!</a></b></p>