RE: Mechanics of Powering Up and the different currencies?
steem tokens in 15 seconds:
steem = liquid token you can transfer freely
steem power = steem that has been "powered up" i.e. staked in the system. this increases your power within the system for example your upvotes are worth more and you earn more steem power as well over time.
steem backed dollar = freely tradable debt backed by steem. if you wish you may convert SBD's into steem and visa versa.
When you post or upvote you get paid in a combination of steem and steem dollars.
Yes you can upvote yourself.
A portion of the payout for each post is paid to author and a minority to curators. Thats how you make money both posting and upvoting.
If you upvote a post and then a bunch of other people upvote it, you make more money.
Theres more too it, but those are the basics.
So it is better to upvote a popular post early rather than when the majority of people have upvoted it? Thanks so much for helping :)
no prob
comments are treated like posts as well, so you can upvote those as well cough cough ;-)
:D you smart mr marketstack