I really appreciate the transparency here to set reasonable expectations for what the next week or so might be like for Steem users as the new system finds equilibrium. To go even a bit further, would it be safe to say:
gradually transition them into the RC system
Means in practical terms:
Get used to seeing error messages when you're doing expensive things, and you don't have enough Steem Power to do them as often as you'd like to.
Same goes for:
the user experience will have to change
there will have to be a transition period during which users learn what operations consume a lot of RCs
Essentially, people with low SP should expect to see errors over the next week as the system finds an equilibrium, yes? Also, accounts with high SP but high usage (bots, etc) may also see errors. Is that correct and a good expectation to have?
My hunch is there could be some criticism of Steem (and therefore Steemit) being seen as a "pay to play" system due to these changes, but I think it's more accurate to say someone was always paying, it was often the wrong people (not the spammers, bot owners, etc). The hope is this will improve now that we have the functionality in place to treat specific operations differently.
I agree with this completely. Someone is always paying, there is no way around it. There is a cost to running the blockchain, it is that simple. The costs being hidden to the average user does not mean they do not exist.
I always write that there is no direct cost per transaction on the STEEM blockchain, not that there is no cost. There is a cost, the question is who is bearing it.
People need to have a bit of patience as we transition away from the centralized world. This is a different arena than most are accustomed to. Many hate the centralized systems where a corporate entity bears the cost of the servers, etc... in exchange for the data they sell. Well, someone has to pay.
Freemium is what people are use to, it is just a matter of trying to find a way to get to that point.
But doesn't this also inefficiently make use of existing resources? For example if someone with 1 milion SP is only using 0.01% of their RC's, vs someone who has like 3 sp but has formerly been a very active contributor of content and is now restrained....? Is that the best use of resources to now cut off the latter?