Most of the bigger platforms like Facebook are just meant to provide monetary gains to the founder and employees but Steem is one such gem which is beneficial to the common users as well and it pays rewards for those creating good content. I know this platform is still in BETA but with time, we will see a lot of more positive changes and interaction.
THe thing with having a company with shareholders is that they have a duty to satisfy them. The customers often take a backseat though as the shareholders are never satisfied with their returns, each want to increase the gain next year. This makes it hard to invest in infrastructure, let alone wear the cost of customer first.