The comment should be there. Strangely enough, I received and error twice, It's also a comment on this post. I just checked it's there.

https://steemit.com/hive-161155/@alexanderkass/sqt33o


How can one belong here or anywhere? Only if you are able to do what you like and are surrounded by like-minded or are left alone and in your own bubble.
I made some friends although most left we still talk and to a few, I write daily so if it comes to that Steemit worked for me.
As I started here I was in bed and mainly wrote while lying on my left side. I could not turn around myself and needed help to get out (and stumble a bit around). I had a lot of time to kill so wrote and read and met great people also learned things I never knew (writing stories with emojis for example, haiku and so on).

I can't remember I ever met a witness and my most recent contact is from last year (so a few months ago). I only remember from years ago that there was a group using the bit-bots and I remember I asked a few times how or what. Could be someone explained but I had no clue what they were talking about. As I finally understood the use it was all of a sudden forbidden. What I found weird (and still find weird) is that those who forbid it were the ones who had the most profit from it.

By now I only know what a few witnesses do, but I have no idea about the team members working for them which makes me wonder how, what, who, what for and how come... how come as how come you are not a witness? Or are witnesses only those who generate blocks?

I believe most of us come to a point where we think about Steemit and how to continue. It depends on where you are on this platform and what you focus on, what you notice. I am afraid that those who count with/post for the auto upvote are investors which I believe wox also promotes. It keeps the community running, although it feels it only works for a few and always the same receives a reward/upvote. The poetic entries to the comment contests hosted by xpilar have a high rate of AI-generated poetry. It's upvoted. Most entries (black and white photography or picture of the whatever are just quick posts and at times the same photo is posted 3 if not 4 times (also in CCS, as a post and somewhere else). These are not newcomers and these Steemians are rewarded and it shows. It's kind of bitter if others are forced to type 550 or 2500 words while they see one picture is rewarded. Does it make sense? Not to me, I would like to see some text though because out of experience I know that with a slow internet connection pictures don't load which means there's nothing to see. Same for videos. Not everyone can see/listen to them so a bit text is nice so you know at least what is shown or talked about.

Do you have the idea that those using auto-votes stimulate others to do the same? Is it wrong to earn with an investment? Will people still invest if there's no interest?
I find it more risky to delegate my SP to a community. I have a very bad experience with that (the knack4buzz episodes).

If you ask me you belong here and not many will say you are not but it's not important what I say or others but how you feel about it. You are able to change things and there are good, creative, entertaining newcomers as well but it feels as it they skip the newcomers community. Why should they be there anyway? Most will not even notice it if they signed up unless someone tells them where to go but that can be ignored. I assume more and more will ignore the newcomer's community. It looks like an entry but there's not much going on. No activity, no fun, nothing. More of a doorway where people are forced to wait till???

What will happen if no one welcomes them and they are left on their own? Will they be more active, and show more creativity?
What if there's an option to chat, comment, some activity for the newcomer where they can chat? The greeters can check in turn and keep the conversations alive. A small prize can be set for the newcomers which they can earn.

How about a scavenger hunt on steemit, looking for certain communities or where contests can be found? Practical things related to steemit. Being active and then writing a comment about what they found or writing down the experiences at the end of the week. I don't think many people will go there, I tried that 5 months ago with #wewrite, and then we started leaving comments en masse. Who of those people still does that? I now have a good overview of who almost always comments.

But first comes first: What do you want? Not for the platform, not for the community but for yourself?

What is it you like to see, do, need or want for you? That is what counts. Can you change the entire platform? No way but you can create a group, circle or part of the platform where those who do like to write, post, share their hobbies, interests and like to comment/chat/reply find another. If it comes to it most of us never surf the entire blockchain.