Well, based on what you wrote, everything they wrote seems understandable.
I mean, bitshare/steem is brillant at surviving pump and dump attacks, which hurts everyone invested. But those who really believe tend to benefit in the long run. So those hoping to make ICO type returns or good returns in the medium on large investments, tend to lose out.
For example, Steem saw lots of money invested, but it is structured to depreciate on purpose, giving good writers a kind of edge on rich investment.
Both Steem and Bitshares have great continuous features, bringing their value up, but this took 6 months or more after the initial hype, in which time people assumed they'd been had. Somehow hard work, lots of money, and the social media nature of Steem has enabled both to come out on top. No doubt, alot of people accustomed to other cryptos, have lost money not knowing the real depth of graphine,etc.
You are absolutely right. Steem and EOS are designed to build real value over time. They discourage speculators.