Thank you @ohicklin:

• For the up-vote
• For the resteem(!)
• and this lengthy comment! :c)

I had really thought that this post had slipped too far deep into that fog of 'will never be seen again' to gain feedback - and so you made my day. ^_^

You would be surprised at how many 'deserving' posts make a pittance and, inversely, how many shovel-posts by the more 'influential' get showered upon.

Then again, judging by your comment - maybe not. :c)

In any case I have learned to "manage my expectations"...

Thank you kindly for your compliment. My knowledge of the way Steemit works is limited to my observations and information picked up this past seven months - but even new users would have an easy time telling that 'something' is not right.

I would not 'quite' put it at 'pyramid scheme' status - as while the Steem ecosystem is enriched by new users - it is able to thrive without fiat input (or so I think). Yes, it does favour first-comer by virtue of its design but it makes sense that persons who have invested early will have a first-comer advantage - even if at a much lesser effort level than newer users.

I've not ever touched a bot (although I have touched @qurator as a steemit-based service - which kind of counts) so I couldn't tell you much other than that it doesn't take much effort to see that paying to get curated is somewhat of a hollow exercise. Lots of people do it - and many consider it legitimate.

Taxation is a topic that stirs emotions due to the negative connotations it has - and its association with governance and crypto's tendency to posit itself as being uninvolved in governance can fuel disagreement. That being said taxation, lie many other things, is simply a tool that can be used for better or for worse. I like to think that the above is an example of for better - but the jury is still out on that (they have mostly yet to arrive).

Your comment was not useless, in my opinion. Thank you kindly for sharing it. :c)