Agreed. The bottom line is that while it is possible to invest in the STEEM ecosystem with fiat, it's also possible to invest entirely with time (by curating, engaging in the community, and writing about stuff that interests you). That's what makes the platform unique, and very un-ponzi like.
Also feels like the term "Ponzi" is thrown around way too liberally these days by people who don't understand what it means...oh, so you can make money here? Must be a Ponzi. :P
Basically, in the term Ponzi that is, as you say, so liberally thrown around by people who do not really understand its definition, pretty much ANY form of "investment" could be called a Ponzi.
These same people would say Stock Market trading, Bitcoin etc etc is a Ponzi...they seem to think Ponzi is just something that "appears" to be too good to be true...in reality, Stock Market / Bitcoin / Gold / Silver / Your favorite celebrities worn knickers, whatever you are buying as an "investment" could go either way in value, up or down, and no one is saying Steem(it) is a certainty to go up, therefore, not a Ponzi...
One could speculate that Steem(it) will be a success and therefore, hopefully, the price will go up, but it might not (even if it is a success the price of STEEM and $S might not go up), no one is saying to throw your whole life savings into STEEM and you will earn profit (as far as I've scene at least)...
@boarddavid seems like me and you are on the same page. Especially the later part of your post. Think that sums it up nicely. When a Real Ponzi blows up, people lives get ruined..
Thanks for the reply.
Quiet Right @nomoreheroes7
Ya, everything is a Ponzi scheme lol. I think it's a projection, cause the US dollar and that financial system is a Ponzi scheme. So buried in their subconscious they know they're surrounded by Ponzi. But Steem has an underlying purpose, to provide decentralized expression and social media.