It has been about 10 years since I first started poking around in the Cryptosphere. Bought a little Bitcoin, actually participated in collecting from a few early Bitcoin "faucets" and made at least a cursory attempt at understanding the fundamentals of blockchain technology.

Ten years later, there's still part of me that ponders the deeper question of "what are we REALLY doing here?"

ARE We Changing the Game?

This whole ball of wax we call "The Cryptosphere" has long presented itself as "game changing innovation," but sometimes it's hard to shake the feeling that — at least in some respects — much of what's happening here is people trying to reinvent the wheel for personal gain.

Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, as much of the world's idealism tends to become supplanted by commercialism as soon as an idea catches on and gains a little traction.

I'm not going to dwell on the validity of that line of thinking... more interested in exploring this whole dynamic of whether or not true innovation is really happening. Specifically, I've been thinking about some aspects of Web 3. I'm thinking about aspects of decentralization.

When we stand apart from the ideals within these concepts, are we actually doing it better? Or are we merely re-inventing the wheel and putting some new wrapping around it?

The Search for "Compelling Reasons"

Consider this idea of "ownership" of your own content that makes the world all about all of us basically "being our own businesses." I see the ideal within in, but I don't see any substantial change from the status quo that pretty much everything ends up dominated by a limited number of major players — or "whales" — and everyone else remains left out in the cold.

I'd say that the same extreme version of the Pareto Principle applies, regardless of whether you're on the blockchain or not; whether you're part of Web 3 or not.

I look at something like Hive/INLEO and consider it in the context of being "The Next Generation" of social media and online content creation.

In theory, it's definitely an amazing idea!

But are we actually doing it better? Are we providing the fundamental "Compelling Reason" for people to abandon the old ways in droves and rush into our new and better ways?

And what are those "compelling reasons?"

But most importantly of all... are the talking points WE use as "compelling reasons" in alignment with what would actually be the most "compelling reasons" for the target group we're hoping to draw into our new and improved vision for the world?

Are we actually making sense?

That point is incredibly important!

As I sat down to write this article, I found myself considering my own decision to become part of the Hive experience (or its predecessor, as the case might be).

I was NOT "taking a step forward towards new technology," I was actually taking a step backwards towards a niche that had been eliminated from the Webscape when MySpace and Facebook effectively "killed" the original generation of "social blogging" which enjoyed its day in the sun circa 1999-2008. I missed that, because it was so much more intelligent and engaging than a bunch of smileys and overused dank memes.

New and Improved...?

I has definitely been fun and enjoyable to be part of this journey, but I am still left with the question "Are we actually doing this BETTER?

I wish I could feel more convinced... particularly as an extension of sincerely wanting to go forth in the world and share how amazing this all is. Or is it? Are we succeeding, or failing miserably?

Are our potential "customers" being offered a feature-rich environment that puts what they have experienced previously to shame?

Do we have greater ease-of-use and greater ease-of-access than they have experienced previously?

Are we offering a user experience that makes them want to rush out and excitedly tell their friends "I just discovered the most amazing thing today! You've GOT to try this!"

We Must Do Better!

Don't get me wrong here! I really want this to be (and become) the next great thing, but part of the path to becoming surely has to involve taking long hard — and occasionally critical — looks at ourselves and ascertaining whether or not we have become so myopic and trapped in our own paradigm that we have forgotten whether we're actually serving up a "flavor" anybody else really cares about.

What are we actually doing better than what's being offered out in the current Web 2 world?

Is crypto actually a faster and easier way for someone in Germany to buy and pay for a boomerang from Australia?
Is 3Speak actually better and more feature rich than YouTube?
Is putting music on INLEO providing a better and more intuitive and easy to use listening experience?
Is Hive an authentically better way to create and manage your social presence?

And if the answers are somehow "no," what are we doing to address any such doubts? Or are we too busy congratulating ourselves to be concerned with such things?

Because that... would be very sad, indeed!

=^..=

Curator Cat, February 4th, 2024
All images are our own unless otherwise noted