Steem allows anyone to share their content online. It runs decentralized, and there's no cost. You might even get paid!
If you're reading this, you may be a Steem user. In that case, you probably already know most of what I'm going to say in this article (even if it doesn't tell you anything new, you can still upvote it if you like it!)
If you are a writer or blogger who has never used Steem, then this article is for you! Read on...
Why Steem?
So why should you use Steem? Tools like Wordpress are vastly more popular among bloggers, and it may seem easier to take the more common path and purchase some cloud hosting.
A dedicated server and domain admittedly has its advantages. It is far easier to tell someone, "Hey, read my blog at www.myblogwebsite.com!" then "I write on Steem, so if you go to steemit.com/@joshmackwilliams you can read my blog there." Plus, you can put up ads and so on with your own website, plus customize style and site layout. Again, why would you use Steem?
Fundamentally, there are a few reasons.
Reason #1: Steem is decentralized
Whether your content server is managed by some central third-party or run in your own house or datacenter, there's still a physical server hosting all of your content. While it may be incredibly redundant and resilient, things can still happen to that data: the server could be destroyed, your data could be mismanaged by a third party, you could forget to renew your contract, and so on.
With Steem, your content is hosted by hundreds of computers around the world. Just like the Bitcoin blockchain can never go down unless every miner in the world is shut off, Steem will remain intact as long as a minimum of one "miner" (known on Steem as a witness) is still around. Your content is safe no matter what, and even if the steemit.com servers were to go down, the Steem blockchain could still be accessed and brought back online by anyone in the world.
Reason #2: Steem is Free
Typically, those who have something they want to say to the world have to pay to say it. The blogger pays money and gets a server in return. And since computing power isn't free, it may seem that it will always be like this.
Steem brings in another factor: cryptocurrency. With Steem, those who host your content are paid with STEEM tokens that are generated in limited supply and have real value, but carry no expense for the writer. Anyone can host their content for free, and those hosting it are still compensated for their efforts.
Reason #3: You Can Make Money on Steem
STEEM tokens are not just given to witnesses who host the content, but also those who write it. Steem has a principle that says, "Your voice is worth something." That means that when you write things that people like, you can get paid. Through Steem's "Proof-of-Brain" mechanism, those who get their posts upvoted are rewarded with Steem tokens for their effort.
If you are willing to spend some time building up your reputation, Steem can actually make you a fair amount of money.
Sounds Awesome! How Do I Get Started?
To get started with Steem, just go to steemit.com and click on the "Sign Up" button. You can either pay a small fee to join or wait for a verification process. I can't really advise you on which one to choose. Some people have reported waiting over a month for slow verification, but my account was confirmed within a week. In the meantime, read some of the plentiful articles on Steem about how to get started. Seriously, there are tons of them. Once you have gotten your account verified, you can stop paying for hosting and start getting paid!