Little known or noticed #2 - Voting

So, I was flipping through the FAQS on Steemit yesterday, which I do periodically to try to get a handle on this strange new world.

🤔 I had been wondering why I never, ever see the potential payout of a post change (in the least!) when I upvote.

Come to find out, there's this thing called "voting power". Every time we upvote on a post we LOSE 2% of our voting power. So, the more we vote, the less it's worth to us OR to the community.

😳 Not only that, but, according to the FAQs, "New users can only upvote and downvote with 100% voting strength." !!!!!!! Which means that only the FIRST VOTE OF THE DAY on any given day counts, and that's provided you only vote 10 times a day. (We earn back our used voting strength at the rate of 20% per day.) If my vote only counts if my strength is 100%, then why continue to vote? What's the point?

😟 I'm really disappointed with this. I've only been a member for 20 days, but I've become practically addicted. I've started following people whose posts interest me, and a few I feel I can learn from. I've also had a lot of fun participating in the contests, particularly the cryptocurrency contest posted by @revelationquotes, the "name that state contest" posted by @voiceofreason, and the "MLB Daily Pick 'em" posted by @sportsncoffee.

🙄 Why, oh why did the powers that be do this? I'm not sure at what point I will cease to be a " NEW MEMBER", but I'm pretty sure it hasn't happened yet. When I looked at my voting strength yesterday I was shocked to find it was only 37%!

😭 This will greatly curtail my contest fun, because the one common requirement of any of the contests I've found is that you have to upvote the post to participate. It also means that the only way I can appreciate a post, be it an article, photo, or comment (beyond the first of the day) will be just to make a comment. I frequently do make comments, but sometimes I just upvote because I don't really have anything to add, it's my way of saying "nice work"! I can't keep upvoting, I won't even be back to 100% voting power for 5 days!

If this is news to you as well, and you want to view your own voting strength, go to https://steemd.com and enter your @username. There's a lot of other information there too, but this is all I have time for today.

I hope I haven't discouraged anyone with my post, I still love Steemit! I'll keep reading Steemit, and I'll likely keep upvoting when all is said and done. I really just wish it would mean something. 😶