Steemit may not be a scam but I do think it was not helpful that it was promoted as the social network where anyone can make big money. Ok, this is not a lie exactly, but it is a huge exaggeration to suggest that somebody is ever going to earn large monetary rewards. At best, most of us will earn a few dollars.

By making people believe they can earn thousands, Steemit ended up with people who felt like they were failures when all they actually got were a few cents. I think people would be more on Steemit's side and less inclined to call it a scam if it had been clear from the start that people were actually going to be rewarded small amounts, with a very small chance of a big payout.