As @Stef1 explained; for many, it's a source of income, sometimes the only one.

It's like a real ecosystem; some have more money, some less; many see it as an investment, others as an income. There's no way we all have the same vision.

I bought Steem for a while, on a small scale, then at a certain point I needed it and withdrew it all. I've always been very bothered by a certain attitude, years ago, of considering those who withdraw Steem as people who take advantage of it, and I don't want to revisit that controversy.

Another problem with Steem has always been automatic votes. You delegate votes to someone and in exchange, you receive an automatic vote on all your posts. Apparently, some are considered scammers, while others seem legitimate, and even the big whales use them. I've never understood the difference. Which methods are legitimate and which are scammers? Perhaps some clarity on this aspect? Because if the vote is automatic, what's the value of the post?

Even many booming votes or Steem curators seem random, but I understand that because how can you read ALL the posts and evaluate them? It's a huge job, and we're all volunteers here!

For my part, I've seen over the past few years that networking is the key; getting to know each other makes you want to read others' posts and engage in conversation. So I've stuck to just a few communities so I can focus on making a more concrete contribution to others, including through comments, and not get lost in the sea of ​​posts. Even though I occasionally venture out of my area, I post in just one community, and occasionally two others. I think that's also the investment: finding a community that's right for you helps you work harder because you feel accepted and part of something. You don't feel invisible, and the Steems will come too. So if I could say something to newcomers I would tell them to find a community that's right for them.