Thank you for this alternative viewpoint. Currently, I am in a limbo period, where I have posted a lot as a minnow with very little reward. The 2-year power down prevents me from investing more than I already have, while not earning author rewards for my posts keeps me where I am at. I know I have high quality writing because I have earned a few hundred steam dollars on another person's account to help me gain followers. So it's not really a question of quality. But I think there needs to be more bridging that gap so that early adopters keep adopting. My post activity has slowed down because I am finding more success trading altcoins right now. But I really do want Steemit to succeed.