Excellent replies. :c)
1 - Being rewarded is a very helpful and important difference. ;c)
2 - Part of the reason is that it is not very practical to navigate Steemit for fresh content and the like. Its usually more doable to restrict such to one's feed. This is both a plus and a minus.
3 - Using a platform such as this as a stepping stone to 'going pro' sounds like a productive use of your time. Here too there is room for improvement but its a good start. :c)
Thank you for sharing with us.
Oh - and you're welcome. :c)