@carlgnash -- I did go on and make my new post... people like me just don't understand giving up, and even under the new EIP, I expect to do well. I don't expect that you expect to not do well. What I don't want to see, down the line, is folks talking about "Steem is great, but there was no way for newbies from summer 2019 to find a way to enjoy it." I don't want that to be the case on Steemit -- HOWEVER, I do see that perhaps it could be another DAPP that will get the job done. I intend in the very near future to start exploring Steempress to publish more extended writing works, for example. Perhaps the Steem journey could best be thought of as a relay race... the whole team wins in the end.

About bid bots I have nothing of great intelligence to say, except that I know from those stats that they account for only around .44 percent of transactions. That must be a powerful .44 percent, if they account for all those massive power downs -- and yes, there is no way for Steem the token to rise significantly under those conditions. That said, it makes sense to just hang on with Steem the blockchain and just stack STEEM and power it up at this low cost -- especially before the EIP, when it is easier for authors to do that stacking. To me, nothing will be lost; the discipline it takes to do enough to get rewarded around here pays off everywhere. What will be gained by HODLing if things turn out well will be quite wonderful. So, off I go to start planning future posts... the stacking WILL continue!