Witnesses have 3 roles for Steemit:
Technical
They rune nodes (i.e. a software on a server) that ensure steem network security. Every blockchain runs similar infrastructure to enable its decentralization concept. They also have to ensure their node are available 24/7 to provide network reliability and low latency.Social/Political
Witnesses do their best to promote Steemit and attract new users. They relay information from developers to people and from people to devs. They act a bit like a hub.
They also have to make this community a living one. This is why I welcome new authors ;)Economic
They monitor relation between the cryptocurrency (STEEM) and "external" world. They have to regularly publish a price feed to define the value of STEEM token.
Hope this help.
Thanks, understand the first two, but the third one threw me for a loop, LOL. But, I'm so new to cryptocurrency I squeak when the word gets near. I'll get it, though, eventually. I've caught on to many confusing things in life and I have somewhat of an accounting background. Once my mind is in the right frame, it will all click.
Thanks again, :-)
Oh, and I appreciate and respect what you do. Thank you for doing it.