Interesting post and comments. I hadn't realized that paid messaging was new, though now that you mention it, it has seemed like I get a lot more of those now than I did even just in early Feb. when I joined. I can't say I really like that feature given that it is mostly used by bot creators to try to get me to use their bot, but I can understand how it provides an important function within a platform with no messaging function. We wind up having to go to Discord to talk to each other one-on-one. (I don't even have the same discord username.) It would be better to keep folks on this platform for their conversations, so even if it winds up taking place in your wallet, where you aren't really hanging out looking for messages, and if everyone can see whatever message you send, it is a useful functionality people have figured out.

On another note, I always tell people that they should expect to invest at least $100 in this platform early on if they want to see quicker traction and less frustration. And as you say, where else can such a small investment yield such tremendous returns? I also am not experiencing losing money with the bid bots. I have figured out that I am generally up about 25% even after curation. I think you just have to learn to use the right ones and to use them the right way. I have not put in more than that initial investment of $200 ($100 in STEEM and $100 in SBD) and yet I am always making a bit more than I spend, while growing SP and followers.

This has been a great investment, and in a few weeks when I get the proceeds from selling my house and invest a percentage in crypto, STEEM will probably be the largest position I buy. I'm also about to start advising a socially conscious investment fund on their investments in crypto, and STEEM will be the first one I talk to them about as well. I think that despite its kinks still needing to be worked out, it really is the best coin out there, and getting better as we learn from our mistakes.