FAQ; How Do Users Have Their Accounts Setup? 100% PowerUp, 50/50 or Decline Payout?

Ok so starting off I think a lot of questions will be asked of those coming into the STEEMIT realm and I think it is important to have a variety of DIY-type tutorials for newbs and veterans of the community so I will start a once a day FAQ-type post asking questions such as this and others like how does the system work, what is the difference between powering up and owning SD, etc. Hopefully this is answered by the true Veterans of STEEMIT, the early adopters and daily posters, the ones who bought in early and have posted so many times. This is dedicated to you.

So as a STEEMIT user for the past eight or so months there are still some things that confuse me or which I just do not know the answer to and I think many others may have the same questions. In this post I want to address blog posts in general and payout specifically. So, there are three options, 100% powerup, 50/50 and decline payout. Which one should a blogger have their post set up to and what are the benefits of each setting? For example why would I want to 100% powerup over a 50/50 option and lastly why would I choose to decline payout?

Are there different reasons or perhaps dofferent posts that you set up differently than others? I had mine set up to 50/50 for the longest time and now have it as 100% powerup. I don't know why I made this decision however. What than is the best way to set this setting to gain the most STEEM, a higher reputation, or earning SBD or "vests"? What are vests exactly? Also when I see upvotes what does it mean when someone votes 100% versus someone who votes 1% or 75%?

Why also are there posts that gain no money but have more upvotes than other with less that have made far more money? Is it only upvotes that increases ones payput or is the person upvoting a factor in how much your post will be worth short and long term? I think I have asked enough questions but at STEEMIT grows I want to support users as much as possible. I think they will be questioning a lot of the mechanics of the platform and having a FAQ-style post will help greatly especially if it gets that person to follow those who answer these questions and gives those STEEMIAN Vets a way to show their muscle by flexing their knowledge.

But also it will help me because although I have posted many times with varying results and commented plenty and bought in with real money to increase my STEEM Power I am still very much not confident in macimizing results and I wish to do so going forward. I know some of us have a tremendous amount of SP and deservedly so but I think for the sake of the ecosystem we must always welcome new users and never forget to make sure our own unique brands of content remain as powerful for us as possible. Turning an outlet of free-speech into passive income is never a bad idea so can anyone answer these questions? Please upvote to keep the post seen and hopefully replied to with a lot of useful knowledge for the community. Thanks and STEEM-ON!

~wwamd (What Would a Marine Do?)