You have a very valid point, but when we are bringing people in on Board we told them Blog and Earn!
That fact that you gain multiple knowledge can not be take away but can you honestly say that is whats gonna make you stick around?
I dont want a Yes or a No now but am gonna follow you and in say 5 months time i will come around to see how you fairing if you are not getting encouragements for your hard gathered works.
Chances are I will go dark for a while, probally sooner than 5-6 months, but that doesnt mean that I gave up and quitted out, just that I experience a lack of creativity from time to time.
Yes, the upvotes are a great ego boost and encouragement, but that isnt why I find greatness im this platform...the insightful critiques, to me, are far more valuable than the earnings. The earnings are a measure of how well I am doing but not the true value i see in Steemit