While I agree we need to make things as smooth as possible for new users I also think new users need to be aware that just because they can earn Steem by posting doesn't mean they will in the early days.

On another platform I write on they publish stats every month about income. One stat from last month was "Of those who published last month 57% earned something" -- that doesn't mean they earned any more than pennies.

When pennies show up on Steem, people point to them and blame the platform. No, the problem is the user needs to buckle down and do the effort to grow their account just like any other site.