I think there is an image problem because of the way that it is earned (freely) as people who do not understand all of the ins and outs of it may think it an unlimited coin.

There is also the fact that a lot of what is earning here is relatively shit which gives a very poor impression of overall quality. Without understanding the blockchain tech behind it, Steem is Steemit and even most people here don't seem to understand that Steemit can go to hell yet, there is still value in the Steem blockchain.

Perhaps this is why so many people here also treat Steem like some kind of freebie to be used to buy other 'more worthy' coins or buy whatever random nonsense they find important right now. To those people i say good riddance tbh as while Steem is undervalued, those that look long can collect cheaply.

I am not a technical person so don't know all of the minute details but, as far as blockchains and potential uses, Steem is superior in most respects and has a massive amount of versatility possible. At some point this will likely become obvious to the market and all those that thought it 'free' are going to be in for a very big surprise and will regret their short-sightedness.

For now though, collect, hodl.