Welcome to the Steemit community @technophobie! Yes, there are tech heads like your dad here on Steemit, but there are many creative and adventurous people also. Mingle and you will find them. =)

A couple of tips, ignore the automated bots, they do nothing for you and just earn from your votes.

We love original content! Many other newcomers try to cheat with copy and paste from other websites.

Be patient with building an audience. Steemit is not get rich quick scheme. It is about the people the relationships you build here.

For many new people, the voting and points system seems complicated at first. Here is an excellent post and entertaining video about how it all works.
https://steemit.com/steemit/@sethlinson/announcing-steemit-explained-a-new-animated-series

Welcome aboard and full Steem ahead! =)