I agree with your sentiment and have been frustrated myself with all the recent glitches, but I don't think it's wrong to call this a beta.
We did all voluntary sign up for this. Apple and other companies have similar programs that allow anyone to sign up to be a beta tester and I experience glitches while using the betas. I will say though that that beta program doesn't involve any actual monetary investment, but technically neither does Steemit. As far as the price changes and such that's just cryptocurrency in general I think. They're a new and emerging market and extremely volatile.
In closing I definitely understand and agree with the frustration, I'm just trying to be pragmatic about it.
They use dollar signs to indicate upvotes and rewards, so, I disagree that this "program doesn't involve any actual monetary investment".
I'm trying to be pragmatic as well; I've worked in the industry, and the Steemit development is matching the worst of the companies I've worked for.
I was talking about the apple iOS betas not involving any monetary investment. And while steemit pays out in steem/SBD to sign up/use steemit you are not required to pony up any of your own cash.
Okay, understood about the Apple thing. And yes, when I signed up here I didn't spend any money. But, I'm going to spend ten bucks in order to get my friend @professor-why here, because it's been more than a month and his account still hasn't been created.
And, I'd imagine most of the fish larger than minnows are due to investments, although I've not done the research so I could be wrong.
Appreciate your second response as well. :)
To reiterate though, I fully agree with the disappoinment and frustration!