If STEEM went all the way down to $0, would I leave?

And do what? Go back to Facebook where there is not even any potential to earn from my work?

Is the sole reason for being here to mine money?

I'm here because I get engagement from other users, like the wonderful @papa-pepper and the @little-peppers. this is fun because of that engagement. I earn a good living as a web developer. I don't need an extra $20 or so a week that I could make writing posts.

I don't check the value of STEEM, because it is irrelevant to me. What is relevant is checking the relationships I have with other Steemians, because that is important.

OMG the whales are powering down! The sky is falling! Bbut that's the point isn't it? You work hard on your posts, earn some STEEM and then cash it out to buy stuff. But if the rich guys do it then the world is going to hell?

That's just silly.

To those so concerned about such things like 'everyone is leaving', 'will Steemit die?', just chill. Do what you do - write posts, vote, resteem, comment, enjoy the community, both online and in the real-world connections we are making. Then if it all does die, at least you will have had a good time, made some good friends and the time spent here will have some value.

Otherwise you're just being a miserable doomsayer and trying to bring everybody down = self-fulfilling prophesy.

This is still all really new. Revel in the fact that you are part of the start of something trans-formative. No matter what happens you can always say you were part of it.

So, I'm with @papa-pepper on this one. I'm here until they kick me out. And I'll bring as many people in as I can, along the way.