We live in large world that is continually getting smaller through travel and of course, technology. This shrinking brings with it a huge range of issues for as humans, we are wired to be wary of strangers. This is why we form communities that have a lot of cultural and value overlap so that we can feel somewhat connected and safe.
If we look at nationality for example, it is possible to see a diverse range of people brought somewhat together under one flag which connects all but, also has a lot of issues as we can witness throughout history and by the looks of things, in the future history too.
But, for any nation to function well it requires a diverse range of personalities who hold a wide range of skills, interests and life goals. This eclectic range of people causes a lot of conflicts and differing opinions but is also a source of inspiration for innovation. It is this continual problem solving and reevaluation of values that helps drive humanity forward.
Within a nation there are citizens that act within the system in various ways but essentially, we are also within the meta system of the globe and are all world citizens. This sounds quite silly but we all have some effect on everyone else through the ways we choose to act or not act.
Steemit is a good example of the shrinking world and also of the world citizen concept as the representation of nationality, religion, culture and values are very wide indeed and the various approaches implemented by people on the platform cause many conflicts between users.
Steemit has the chance to redefine what it means to be a nation in many ways and already has a working, growing and usable global currency with which to operate and interact with other nations, current and coming. I thought it would be interesting to go through what citizenship means and would love if people could add more detail in the comments section.
There are many definitions of what a good citizen is that look at education, science literacy or one's willingness to stand up for what they believe in or for the general value systems of the nation in which they operate.
"The first requisite of a good citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight." - Theodore Roosevelt
The problem of course at Steemit is that there is no nation, no flag, no governing body. It is a decentralized system where effectively anyone can enter from any point and act in whatever manner they choose, freely. Well, almost freely as the flag system and the voting system is some kind of restriction on users. But, all in all, a Steemit citizen is largely uncensored and unbounded by a governing set of rules.
This makes 'pulling their weight' difficult as this will inevitably mean many different things for different types of users but, what the overall arch means is that a 'good' citizen does what they can to add some value to the nation. This can be approached in many different ways of course by each user.
There are the educators who look to increase awareness of Steemit, Steem, cryptocurrencies, posting advice and a whole range of technical information. There are also the educators that focus on the walking world interactions users may experience across health, psychology, philosophy, society, politics, science, religion. Education is a large part of any nation's long-term view and there is a lot of value in good quality and practicality.
There are of course the artists too and as I see it, this is also a type of education. Our real-world is continually decreasing access to art as children and as a result, creativity on a whole is also reducing. At Steemit there are painters, drawers, writers, photographers who all bring their unique skills into the platform and can inspire others to explore their own creative pursuits.
There are also the financiers, bankers, backers, patrons who support a whole range of activities including the development of the platform and the support of actors within the nation to continue doing what they do. It is these people who can slowly spread and empower others to share their investment load.
Like in any society, there are also the seedier sides of citizenship, the ones that are looking to take more than they provide. The spammers, the plagiarists, the 100% self-voters and the many scammers looking to fleece other citizens out of their value. Although these people are undesirable in large numbers, dealing with them actually helps drive innovation and strengthen the platform's underlying value system.
There are obviously many more categories and a lot of detail and caveats can go into each section however, that should be enough for consideration at this point.
This Steemit nation of ours is in its infancy and has a long way to go hopefully and the more I am here, the more I write and think about the opportunity, the more I speak with members within, the more I am willing to invest of myself. We really do have a chance to impact on our walking world and create something that is value adding for all involved but, this does take investment from each citizen.
What I think is that each user should take a little time to consider their role within Steemit and find a way they can both benefit from and add value to the platform. Consider what it means to be a citizen of a decentralized global nation where there is no manufactured culture, no organized religion, no common value system or any other authority dictating action.
The incentive is of course there to take advantage of the system as is but, that limits future value which is of course a short-term view that undercuts all. Patience itself should be exercised at Steemit and many forget that the site itself is only a little more than a year and a half old and has a lot of maturing to do.
Like any new nation, there are going to be many teething problems and those who do not want it to succeed. The thing is that if we do our homework and work largely together, all of these challenges can be largely mitigated and we can move faster and further than any nation in history.
What this takes though is large amounts of people willing to act well as there is no government to make our decisions for us. We govern ourselves which means if we fail, it will also be because of us. No one to blame, full responsibility.
This is why Steemit is so attractive to me personally as because in here, I get to decide my direction without being governed by an average for all. There is massive value in this concept and it will spread if we create it to do so and that will ramp up benefits for all citizens. Who knows where all of this will lead but, it could lead to a new kind of sovereignty where we are borderless and each person within is empowered to be their best for themselves and each other.
Taraz [ a Steemit original ]
This is a repost from about four months ago and with so many new signups and so much dodgy behaviour out there currently, I figure it is worth a repost. It is really difficult for me in many ways to talk about these things without feeling like some kind of idealist but, I do believe that if people pulled somewhat together and some of those with influence currently gaming the system, supported instead, it would be a brilliant incubator for a whole range of new developments that will affect our world. I was looking for another post I have written but can't find it now. Essentially though, the process to our success as a community is quite simple if you follow an ancient philosophy: Don't be a dick!