RE: this post has been removed by author.
I think you are only really in danger of a downvote if you copy and paste an article in its entirety without referencing the source. In that instant it is thought of as unfair if you are being rewarded and the original author doesn't get a dime.
There are plenty of posts that have made a lot of money on here that aren't 100% original, but that is because they have put in their thoughts on why they like the content. They link to the original author's other content and generally play a role in opening up new content for users.
So it's just a matter of being honest, and a bit smart; if you just post a link with a headline, that won't get you many up or down votes.
If you copy and paste an entire article without referencing that will probably get you downvotes, even if you do reference right at the end, that may still get you downvotes as you're not really encouraging anyone to seek out the original author. Just benefit from their work.
The best is to go and look at some of the posts that people reference @stellabelle for instance, is always referencing stuff, but she brings the things alive for you. She let's you know why she loves the stuff and how it inspires her, that is the difference between curating and copy and pasting.
Also have a look at https://steemit.com/life/@connorcranston/best-ted-talk-period-how-to-get-whatever-you-want-in-life
He has posted a Ted Talk and I think he got almost $1000 for that and no downvotes, again it is because he qualifies why he's posting.
Don't be annoyed with downvotes, I know they can be frustrating, just think of them as reminders, they will get you to up your game. I have seen other people on here, go through a similar thing and they end up producing quality content, that earns them money.
Keep at it, join the Steem slack, which you can access by mousing over the 3 bars, top right of your screen. On their you can ask questions about why you were downvoted, just keep cool and you'll get there. We want quality, so that means everyone's rooting for you to play your part in making Steemit the number one quality blogging platform :-)
Take Care
Keep Steeming
CG
I linked the source - it was above the copy/pasted article. It was obviously some misunderstanding then.
I really appreciate your incredibly informative and helpful response, and will follow those links and the advice you've given.
Cheers. :)