Welcome to the best social media platform on the web.
Nice honest intro.
Honesty is valued highly on Steemit and if you keep on with that then you will do well on here.
" I upvote the great content in 'trending' anyways, " - Upvote great content yes, but remember you have limited voting power and so use your vote wisely.
Be yourself and vote on posts that particularly interest you not just because they are Trending or Hot. This is what Steemit is all about. Here you are rewarded for being yourself. Fakes and scammers dont last long on Steemit because of its unique reputation system.
You will soon get the hang of it.