I'm really glad you made this post @chitty.
I started on Steemit just a month ago, and I've been really excited about it. Not just the potential to earn money, but I like the idea behind it. However, I have discovered more about what's underneath Steemit and who controls it. It's not a decentralized platform. The top 20 ppl are controlling it and making decisions that affect everyone. Also, some whales downvote other people's posts if they have a problem with what they say or their position on Steem, wiping out all their post earnings. From my understanding, they just get away with this bad behavior.
That being said, I'm very disappointed in learning "the truth" that Steemit is supposed to be about. But this is life and the world we live in... I'm still going to stay on Steemit and do my thing regardless. Just wanted to comment on this