It's good to get shit out there and off your chest. I hear yah. 

I'm not worried about whales leaving. There are a few that I know that are pretty cool, but others? Ehh, the blockchain will go on. A certain whale rage quit not that long ago, and steem didn't even blink. Of course, he still runs his bid bot here, and has someone running his witness node, so he's still making profit from here. We just don't have to deal with him as much.

Tons of people have quit and gone inactive in the last year. Maybe some of them will show up again...but we kept going. Did any of us really even notice when various whales just stopped posting for months on end?

Well, due to my current situation, I'm in need of my Steem income. It's either that, or to basically quit Steemit, just to get more time to work. I mean, I've never relied on my income from Steemit. I've always seen it as a huge bonus. However, due to how some things have changed in my life during these last few weeks/months or so, I'm in a position where I'm in more **need** of that income.

So, I would hate to see Steem crash. In fact, if Steem falls below 0.70, I'll be in an even deeper shitstorm, so I wish that'll never happen (again). But, I do get your point and I agree with you.

I don't think that Steem will die, but I do think that Steem**it** have seen it's best days. There aren't much nowadays that are speaking for a **better** Steemit. The future is looking bright for Steem, especially with SMTs and all those upcoming things... 

But Steemit is going downhill.

And honestly, I think it's terrible to see Ned (especially Ned but also other whales) power down. He is obviously allowed to do whatever he wants with his stake, but I personally don't like it.

I don't really know if I should see it as a warning sign or not, and even though I don't think it's the *"end of the world"* that he is powering down, it still makes me confused. The same goes for other whales too. I can totally understand that people power down for different reasons, but most people aren't vocal about it. They don't explain why they do it... And that's what gives me that awkward feeling.

However, I'm not saying that everyone needs to state their reasons for powering down... But when large stakeholders, and especially users like Ned are powering down, I'd love to hear why. A statement would kill any potential rumours.

Also, this is something that I feel personally and I've been here since July 2016. I can just imagine how many users there are out there having these same concerns regarding these things. Or, even worse. How many potential newcomers or investors that feels this way.

Anyhow, I honestly think that we would be better off with **less** orcas and whales and **more** minnows. But I also think that we would suffer the first couple of months or so, before things started to stabilize again.

Nice rant!

I still hold that a bunch of these people are misguided and have missed the whole point of "investing." 

People don't buy Intel, or MicroSnot or Apple stock to get a daily payout. They buy that stock in the expectation of a capital gain. You buy a stock today at $5 and sell it in three years for $100, if all goes well. Most new industry stocks don't even PAY current dividends, and certainly never enough that you can hope to make a living from it.

What's my point? Treating the *income* part of Steem/Steemit as the *primary gain* is lunacy. Your *stake* is ultimately where your primary gain should come from. Unfortunately we went down this weird rabbit hole where everyone is obsessively focused on tomorrow's rewards. WTF, over?

And it may be that the price of Steem will have to decline all the way to the point where "current income" becomes meaningless, and people (individual contributors) instead gradually become the major stake holders, not "investors" or "app developers."

I think Ned & Co. sort of missed part of the point... it doesn't matter HOW many great apps you have if there's nobody using them *at the "retail" (end user) level.*

=^..^=

Well I am not really making any $$$.  However, I have made some awesome friends and even received a few gifts.  I have learned a lot and NAH this wont die.  It might dip and dive, but die..Never. So a bunch of peeps left.  Have we run out of people in our world of 6 Billion.  NAH.  There are always more.  When one door closes another one opens.   All good things come in 3's as well.  So there ya have it.  Call me Pollyanna.  I am real tired of the sad faces that abound us. :)))

Another whiny !shitpost...

Ignorance is bliss, eh?

Interesting. I hope Steemit don´t die because I have had fun using this platform and knowing/reading people as you, I have learned lots about crytpos and it doesn´t matter if I earn 0 or thousands ( could be a great help I don´t deny it ) but I keep those cool moments I have been thinking in what to post and how I present it and seeing people voting.   Hope Steemit can stand and be better day by day!

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Steem didn't die when Ned recently powered down, and he had a big power down, didn't he?
And yes - Steem gives WAY better returns than any savings account, Roth IRA, retirement plan, whatever - does.  And if you say, "well, not as good as some other cryptos," - maybe not if you got in on Bitcoin when it was new and you didn't lose everything on MtGox, but otherwise, we spike when BTC and all the others spike, and crash when they all crash, but my BTC wallet doesn't get bigger if I sign in to Coinbase and do transactions - I LOSE BTC for doing transactions.  How's that for ROI?
I'd rather Steemit was a platform for my friends and other average Joes to be friends and build up our accounts the fair and social way, than a haven for a few privileged jerks who treat it like their personal litterbox.  If they all flounce, it might take a hit - but it will be filled back in by normal people who need an opportunity, not people who spit on opportunities for not being like winning the mega millions lotto.
GD, if I had their SP and could make a few hundred a damn DAY by spreading some money around to others at no cost to myself and writing a blog??  I'd be sitting pretty and loving being able to spread the wealth.  Even if I made a few hundred a WEEK, damn, that shit is life changingly awesome and a SUPER ROI.  If that's not good enough for you, then what will be?  That's pretty much the principle of having wealth, isn't it?  Not spending your capital (your SP), but earning a living income from the interest (your posting and curation)?  What more could you want?  And if cryptos moon again - well then, you can cash out and buy your lambo, if that's what floats your boat.