If it was a simple process to buy steem then I most likely would have bought some steem. The simplist method to buy steem in the last two years was when Steem Monsters was giving a percentage of the purchase price as a refund in steem. I bought cards, on a bi-weekly basis with what I felt I could afford, played for awhile and then sold my cards. I spent about $100.00 on cards.
So if there was a simple way to buy steem, then I would be buying. Having to go through three or four middle men to buy steem is not going to happen for me. So when they make it simple to buy and to sell and convert into Fiat Money in a one stop shop, I will buy some more steem. But it has to be a two way system buy with Fiat, sell as Fiat.
If Steem was able to do that then the value would take off, until that day, Steem Block Chain is a nice social platform.
I know what you mean. I've also gotta jump through hoops to purchase STEEM (including paying those god awful fees), but with the hope that the turnaround in the STEEM price will offset all that. It'll be interesting to see how things pan out. Wish I had a crystal ball and could see exactly one year on from today. Something tells me the markets will be looking decidedly different, albeit in a really "good" way.
Fingers crossed. :)