I have no clue whether you will be proved right, or how things will pan out if you are, but thanks, @whatsup, for your insight into some of the possibilities - valuable to this newbie and gratefully received. I'm here to contribute (once I've finished looking around) what I consider to be interesting content and to see how I'm likely to be rewarded. If I get even a sniff that I could develop some kind of income stream I will stick around and post very frequently. Interesting that you say the quality is actually improving - I had wondered if things were maybe going in the opposite direction, so what you say is encouraging. I don't think 'competition' should be feared as long as it increases the amount of good content, because surely that can only raise the reputation of the platform as a source of valuable material for the end user, in or out of Steemit. As to whether, in your explosion scenario, the money or the numbers will come first, again I have little insight, though it struck me there's no reason it has to be first one, then the other - can't both thing happen together?

I have little appetite for the politics or inner working of Steemit, but as I settle in I would be very happy to do what I can to help others and in my small way support the community at large. Although there are doubtless many here to game the system for what they can get out of it, I've already 'met' several people whose main interest is in making it the great medium it could become if things go well, and I'm sure there are many others around.

Thanks again - I'll be looking out for the sequel tomorrow.