Obviously delegating to a project that never intended to stick with Steem long-term while while pretending it did is a disappointment for us all. Has nothing to do with "free" resources on a blockchain though.

I agree that not everyone needs to manage private keys. Most people don't want that responsibility. That's why much of the cryptocurrency space (including Steem) is ahead of its time. The delegation model is what Steemit, Inc was doing for quite some time. As to their sign up process taking so long or not responding, I don't have an answer to that other than to use a competing sign up service or start your own. Again though, someone has to pay.

I understand not wanting to try anymore and moving on. Many have and many more will. It's unfortunate that Steem hasn't yet lived up to the expectations that were created by it.