Whether you are new to STEEM or an old-timer who has been around since the beginning, welcome! I am your friendly neighborhood Steem Pope, here to offer some tips to help you find your way around.
Steemit and the various alternative sites for accessing the STEEM ecosystem are all similar, so start out by signing up. There should be a button up at the top of the screen so you can sign in or create an account. If you are new, that is where to start.
All set? Onward! But where to begin?
First up, find something interesting to read. People write new posts every second, so you can just watch the new posts feed, but that can get overwhelming. A better option would be to use the search tool. Look up subjects that interest you. The tag system uses keywords that can also help you find posts on any topic you like.
After you find a good post, the second and third steps to STEEM success come into play. Upvote and consider leaving a substantive comment. Try to write something that can serve as a conversation hook, not just an empty compliment anyone else could have written.
Step four should probably be used sparingly, but for posts you might want to reference in the future or point out to others, consider resteeming. Just don't have your personal feed so full of shared content that your own writing disappears. Speaking of which. . .
Step five is writing. This is too complicated for simple instructions. What interests you? What can you teach others? Experiment until you find your niche, and keep on writing! Just don't plagiarize, don't spam, and don't abuse other people.
Step six: find your place in the community. Follow posts promoted by 
Keep calm and STEEM on!