I'm new here, and I just saw this discussion thread. It seems to me that, without knowing as much at the time, I touched upon exactly what is said in these comments when I posted my short intro a couple of days ago. Now, I have some specific points, and I have a question. I'm used to absorbing new info, but the whole vote mechanism is still unclear to me. I do read a lot of documentation, but as with most people, there are time constraints. And as regards growth: there is a threshold, and I don't think that one can expect anyone to easily and fully grasp the unique Steemit in a short while. I like it, absolutely - new territory though - and I also would like the 'curation' bit.
My question: It's intuitive to simply upvote a post or comment that you like, and show appreciation, but here - at the outset - it's not very clear what is meaningful to do. (I upvoted your post, by the way). Perhaps you could give a brief answer, or give a good link. What I at this point need to know is this: Is it meaningful to upvote posts/comments that are two days, a week, or more old?
What do you mean by "meaningful"? If it's meaningful to you, then yes. It can still have an impact on payouts up to four weeks. I've had topics which only got popular after the initial payout and I'm sure many others have too.
Thanks a lot for the quick reply! By 'meaningful' I mean 'show appreciation/like' - that's what is important to me, the other aspects come second.
I have a learning curve here - I find all I read about Steemit fascinating, but it's also a new way of thinking. I've got the impression (maybe wrongly) that most actions should be within the first day/24h (and the first 30 minutes). I'm glad to hear, as you say, that what you write can have a long life. So, I'll just upvote what I like - and keep on reading tutorials. Steemit is huge, and I believe in it. Your "yes" is enough to get this off my mind. Thanks again! (+1)