"You know, A newbie with a Steemit account is a little like a mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how he got it, and danged if he knows how to use it!” - Lyle Lanley
I've now been on Steemit for a week so I thought it might be a good time write down what I've picked up as a beginner. I figure this will give anyone a chance to correct me on any bad assumptions I've made, and possibly also provide some entertainment for others that are just starting out.
It does seem like the more I learn, the more I realise I don't know. It feels kind of like the bit in space invaders where the ships split into two when you shoot them.
Credit: Wonder woman0731 - Flickr
The entire Steemit community appears to exist underwater
The majority of marine fauna appears to be whales, dolphins and minnows. Crustaceans, Sponges and coral don't appear to be catered for. And despite noticing the odd remora fish attached to whales, their presence doesn't appear to be acknowledged.
Copyright matters!
Seriously... I have to repress the urge to urge to carpet bomb memes in much the same way as I have to remember not to drop the C bomb in casual conversation outside of Australia.
Multiple platforms built on the same blockchain is bloody brilliant!
The idea of building your reputation and having it follow you whether you choose to blog, take photos or make videos is something that is seriously lacking in the social media world today! Just before I signed up I was doing battle trying to piece together a blog, an Instagram account and a facebook page and trying to figure out how I could possibly link them all together, then the solution was served up right in front of me on one beautiful steeming platter!
The road to trending is paved with partnerships
Minnow Support Project, Minnow Booster, Bots, Contests. Browsing the comments/wallet history of some of the most popular posts/posters it appears that making it to the top requires some support. There seem to be mixed opinions of the purity of using bots and I have yet to form one myself, but it's still quite obvious that quality content is essential regardless of how you choose to promote it. Figuring out how this whole system works is what I will be dedicating some brainpower towards this week. Mostly finding my countrymen in 
This is the most excited I've been to make a dollar since I lost my first tooth!
I was a little surprised by how embarrassingly excited I was to see that my first few posts had collected a dollar in upvotes. I've always had an interest in how content is monetised on the internet. Sell an information product, dropship from shopify, adsense, affiliate links, influencer sponsorship. In amongst all this noise the possibility of "Being rewarded for your content simply because people liked it" never even crossed my mind. The opportunity that Steemit presents is exactly what the internet was lacking. A place where creators can create and be rewarded without having to hand over the majority to a third party.
So as I end my first week as a Steemian
I remain confused, excited and fascinated by what this community represents. Thank you to everyone for playing their part, whether it's large or small.
Shawn Achor's "The Happiness Advantage" taught me the power of gratitude
Let's spread some across Steemit! If you want to comment but don't know what to say, just tell me 3 things you’re grateful for today and why. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas try:
Something temporary (your coffee, the sunshine)
A person
An object.
@lifeofryan