If I am welcome to chime in here, I feel like defending SBI as well. Even though I am not very connected to it and have not used it all that much.

Before defending SBI, let me first preface that defense by stating that I get where you are coming from. In fact, I believe we very much care about the same things, only, we strongly disagree on the method of achieving them. I also believe, and I don't mean this in a condescending way, that I am more of a realist and this is why we differ on tactics.

From the start of my coming to Steem my idea for using the Steem platform was to empower independent journalism. I saw Steem as the best tool for doing that and began thinking of ways to develop some kind of project here.

Things eventually evolved into what I am doing now. While the plan changed slightly over time, the goal never changed. Supporting quality, informative content was and is the objective.

Okay, that was my shot at finding common ground.

Can we be too application-specific?

Well, first, your position on Steem seems to take the application-specific nature of Steem to the point of making it extremely application-specific. If you want that, cool, but you need to understand that STEEM can never be money then. Money is flexible, adaptable to many use cases, and the risking of money often begets more money.

I try to tell people to stop thinking that SMTs will save everything, but they don't listen. If sizable businesses care enough, they could just take Steem's code like Weku did. Steem's true killer application is as the replacement of online tipping. Essentially, its suppose to be what BAT is gunning for as we speak.

If STEEM does not ever become a real money it will eventually cause the death of Steem. This is because Steem is a social network that taxes you for accounts and actions while all other social networks do not. Immutability is nice but its not particularly essential for most online use cases, journalism/evidence is mainly the key use.

How does SBI help STEEM become money?

Remember what I said was Steem's true killer application? Yep, it was tipping, or really the revolutionizing of online Patreon type of tipping to a cool new way of tipping that involves you getting something out of the deal too.

SBI accommodates this vision. You can sponsor or gift someone an SBI share by spending some STEEM, but its not entirely selfless, only half selfless. Like with curation, you get something out of the deal too.

That creates a warm environment of generosity and is completely in harmony with online tipping culture.

Now, the only issue I have with it is that if we're going to have a basic income system, ideally, I'm a sucker for decentralized stuff and I'd want it to be decentralized. I don't think it is, but at the very least Joseph's heart is in the right place and its a great initiative.

No, it is not directly related to the quality of the content of these individuals. However, if STEEM is to matter in the long-run, and your considerable stake of SP is to go to the proverbial moon. Then you need to embrace economic flexibility for the projects, businesses and uses of STEEM, voting and delegations.

I know you're sincere, you have more to lose by Steem failing than me. That is why I would like you to rethink your current stance. Making Steem an overly application-specific blockchain will ultimately hurt it.