I came to know about Steem and landed on Steemit.com through an article on Medium. I have some basic knowledge of blockchain and it took me some time to understand what exactly is Steem and Steemit. I am sharing my first impressions of Steemit so that others can benefit and also I get more clarity on my own understanding of this community.
Impression 1: You can signup and start posting instantly like any other social network or website.
Truth: You can signup, but have to wait for some time to get started. Your account needs to be approved by Steemit as creating new account costs some money and it involves a financial transaction (yeah...it is blockchain). My account was activated in 2 days. Of course, there is some new way to create new accounts. Existing users can invite their friends through Steeminvite so that Steemit doesn't have to approve.
Impression 2: All those payout figures just below each post title on pages like trending, new etc. is of USD. Ohhh noo...they must be Steem Dollars.
Truth: I am confused about the $ sign before every figure. Are they US dollars or Steem Dollars? After some browsing, I realized they are estimated value of rewards in US Dollars.
Impression 3: You have to pay something first to get rewards later on.
Truth: Not at all. You can start earning rewards and Steems without paying any real money. It is the power of blockchain and this is what's going to make Steemit a successful community. Of course, I am still in the process of figuring out many things about blockchain and Steem.
Impression 4: If you write quality content, you will be rewarded handsomely. All you need to do is concentrate on your writing.
Truth: Frankly, I am yet to find out the truth. I have to see how much I will benefit financially and socially from my words on Steemit.
Hope this article helps new joinees on Steemit. I may update this article if I find something worthwhile to bring to the notice of the new users.