What to say, what to say... it's your anniversary tomorrow, so Happy Steemversary to you! Our community is richer and brighter for your being here!
I always have fncks for you, my dear! (I hope that didn't come across as creepy and weird...!
And having fncks to give (in general) is ultimately what this site is built on, even if the infamous White Paper might suggest otherwise.
I'll tell you a quick story... I ended up here because a Farcebook friend and I were having an ongoing conversation about basic income; he shared an article with me — NOT about Steemit — that happened to be written on Steemit and I started thinking this was a cool gig. NOT because "I could make money," but because it was centered on the core idea of a "gift economy." Pay it forward. What's more, pay it forward at no cost to yourself.
This place has changed quite a bit in the 18-odd months I've been here... and really, not all of it has been good. The many idealistic voices backing a fairly broad "We're going to change the WORLD!" belief seem to have grown softer; quieter... silent, even. The influx of "as goes the world, so goes Steemit" thinking seems to have grown stronger.
I pretty much agree with everything you've said here (Imagine that!) and I believe there's still a strong core group of some thousands... maybe as many as 20,000(?) active participants who still hold true to the gift economy idea. And we just have to persist and stick together... and occasionally bring one of the early adopters back into the fold.
I have never been big on self-congratulatory milestone posts... and determined that my next one would come (probably in a few months) when I reach my next milestone... one that NOT many people ever mention... which is when I will have (manually, I might add!) given 50,000 upvotes since starting here (I'm just shy of 47,000 right now) because that's a meaningful metric to me.
I'm not as active as I have been, sadly... I still have to work for a living (drat!) and that seems to consume ever more of my time. But that doesn't stop me from believing that we have a bright future here, in terms of creating a better world for all of us. AWAY from all the hamster wheels and cages.