"Obviously it’s always better to getting paid for doing something you would do either way..."
See, it was under this assumption that I first entered Steemit, but the reality is that people have a minimum-value threshold, which is subjective to the person, for what they are willing to do to get micropayments. This is why rebates are so profitable for companies - many people will not fill out and mail a form for $20 or more dollars.
They also won't swap their social-media site to make 8 cents on their shit-posts about cats, nor will they reveal their (presumed) anonymity from behind their computers and their "erotic activity schedule" for a few pennies a day. That won't even get them over the "ugh, I have to register" threshold.
I'm eager to see what happens, either way.