And thanks for not assuming I'm attacking you or your content (because I'm not). I think you're a great photographer and your posts are nicely laid out. I'd never downvote any of your stuff (unless it somehow took a really dramatic turn for the worse, and even then maybe not). At the very worst, I'd refrain from upvoting it. I'm really just trying to figure out what makes certain posts (or people) winners, post HF21. Something's different (such as the former bidpots piling on votes to certain people/posts). I'm not trying to take you down! I'm trying to find out how I can potentially get in on it.

Not voting Steem-related posts highly is an interesting policy! Cool. I guess I have that same policy, I just never put it into words for myself. :)

As for "networking", I don't doubt the effectiveness of those strategies. But, is that what curation is supposed to be calculating, a person's networking ability, and time put in to developing partnerships with curators? It seems NewSteem is a lot about networking and not so much about content. Indeed, the insiders announced the other day that the new direction for this blockchain is away from content, and toward "launching new cryptos/SMTs". But back when I started putting in full time work here (2 years ago), and put in $5000 (my entire savings), that wasn't what this place was billed as. Back then (and still officially to this day) the concept here was:

So I too have put in some time, money, and effort, and currently it isn't paying off. Yes, I'll take your advice about tags and other stuff (mentioned in another comment), but I don't think that's going to take me all the way. Perhaps I put in my time, money, and effort too soon? If I had held that $5000 until today, and never made a single post or comment here, I could buy 35,000 STEEM out of nowhere, and I'd be in the club. Sometimes it feels as though I'm being penalized for doing everything right, and supporting this blockchain too soon/early.

I understand that you don't need the money and you're posting to document your adventures. I'm the same, although I had dreamed that at some point my work here would at least buy me a new camera, as my current one is essentially toast. I'm disabled and on a very fixed income, so even a few hundred bucks is hard to come by all at once. Losing all my savings in this blockchain, and still never making enough to replace my camera, is pretty dismal.

Not that it's your fault whatsoever, so please don't hear me saying that :)

Thanks for helping me understand better.