A great analogy, but also a very kind act. It speaks volumes about a person. And it's evident that you are one of those who are putting their backs into "pushing" a stalled Steemit off the tracks before an oncoming train hits it. I've been around, as you know, for about two moons, and I had no idea the maelstrom I was entering when I set up an account here. Greed and ego, it's always the same culprits. Very disappointing.
**Do you know the artist and painting you posted?
The painting is Sisyphys by Titian.
It's tragic what's being done to Steem by some of its less enlightened founding members. I'm still here because I think it's still the best gateway currently available for getting the rest of the world (those who don't get excited about blockchains and economics like me) engaged in the decentralization movement. I came very close to just selling out and moving on some time ago once I saw what was happening, but I think I'm still in a position to help keep it habitable for at least some people, and there's always a chance something will be salvage-worthy once the pillagers have sold out and moved on.
Hrmm, I didn’t realise there was so much drama happening at the very top. I knew there were warring whale factions, but didn’t realise it went all the way up.
I guess there’s still scraps to collect at the minnow level.
The biggest issue I see to long-term growth is the delay in creating a new account. Like I can’t tell someone to come join Steemit and then expect them to wait a few months. It’s not even like a typical startup beta where you’ll eventually get notified - in some cases your account will just never get created and you won’t receive a notification telling you that you’ve been rejected.
The ‘why’ makes sense, but it’s still not necessarily a good reason
You can also just create accounts for your friends yourself instead of waiting on Steemit to approve them. The interfaces aren't the most convenient, but it is a decentralized network and Steemit doesn't have any special account creation abilities the rest of us don't have.
A Sisyphean task indeed. I get the connection now between the painting and your efforts on Steemit. I am not as philosophically invested here, but I can still appreciate what you are trying to do. Whatever happens, I wish you all the best.