Hello @shello,
A lot of very large topics here and what I'm going to contribute to (as part of the conversation thread) is related to Commenting.
I've kind of just pulled myself along on Steemit. In a couple of months, I'll be celebrating my 2nd Steemit anniversary/birthday. (So, I've seen some things. LMAO)
I have to say that I have made some fantastic friends whom I consider to be family.
That tight a friendship bond starts when you give a person a chance to get to know you a little bit by or through chatting or commenting.
I can only get to a handful of blogs every day but I have always made a point of responding to comments on my posts and UPVOTING comments especially when I know/feel that the person has put some thought into their comment OR if I know the person isn't communicating to me in their native language. I know that most of the time, it's only a few cents but I like to think that every little bit helps to encourage people to keep trying and not give up. It's my way of giving back to as many people as I can.
I think it's serendipitous when folks fine their way to my blog and when they return, I like to treat them exactly how I would treat them if they had showed up at my house as a guest.
I'm glad I stopped to read your post today...it's nice to get to know you a little better. ;)