I should start by saying, I don't particularly like Facebook, how it operates and the levels of control they have, and abuse on a mas scale. And I don't have any warm feelings toward Zuckerberg. But I have to admire what he/they have achieved.
I wouldn't class myself as a conspiracy theorist, but I am willing to look at both sides of any argument and try not to rely on the first story I'm fed when making up my mind on something.
And I don't believe Zuckerberg is "an elite". But he is very smart, has already built possibly the most powerful business ever (which is a strong statement, but I believe justified because of their profits, reach and control over the attention of, and ability to influence billions of people around the globe).
But Facebook didn't start out where it is today - it has evolved, adapted and bought their way to the position they're in today.
Yes, they have to change their model, and adapt again. Because blockchain is a real threat to their dominance. But they don't have to throw out everything they've created and start again. And a blockchain doesn't have to be decentralised in order to gain mass adoption/acceptance - just look at the hype surrounding Ripple and the XRP token.
So Facebook can integrate blockchain technology into their existing platform. It might not please the purists, but it might appease the masses.
And...
STEEM has the potential to dethrown Facebook and every other social platform out there. But it's potential. We're still at less than a million users and it's all still an experiment at this stage.
Self-government and self-censorship might have worked with a small, dedicated and passionate community, but we're still to see how STEEM will grow.
If it is to keep growing, the most important users must be the small, "insignificant", newbies who come to the platform, not the whales who control, and massively profit from it. The main selling point is the monetisation, and if new users can't see how THEY can get a piece of the pie, most won't stick around.
The more friction there is in signing-up and getting up-and-running, the fewer people will stay in the community.
Honestly, I personally don't think Steem will dethrone Facebook. They're just different.... Facebook events are so incredibly useful and Messenger is amazing... I'll continue to use Facebook to communicate with family and friends... but I won't spend time browsing it like I once used to.
I totally agree. In these kind of applications it is even FB's advantage that content can be removed.
Yes, at the moment I agree, There's nothing on the STEEM blockchain which is trying to take on Facebook yet though. I'm sure somebody will try to develop something, even if its across a few apps (i..e one for instant messenger, one for timeline posts/connections) - and Appics is coming soon to challenge Instagram.
In the longterm, blockchain is clearly better solution than a central website, so Facebook and the like will at least have to adapt. It's just a question of how they do it, and whether there's anything else available (STEEM or elsewhere) which will blow them out of the water. Too early to tell with any of the current STEEM apps IMO.