I think more and more such posts need to come out. I think the problem is, as you also pointed out, an incorrect perception of what steemit is.. that its a money making machine. When people realise it isnt, they think it should be a charity. Whales are the govt who have to ensure that no citizen is left behind.
Its like any other site. Its much tougher to make even a cent on other sites being just a content creator or blogger. This is still a better platform. Time needs to be invested to learn about the platform and interact and people will realise whales are kind as long as the comment is meaningful. Everyone loves appreciation for work, not just mimnows but whales too.
And one should try a zillion things before giving up or complaining i believe. I was just about to reach the complaining threshhold way too early but luckily i saw some very helpful posts such as these and i can truly say that this platform is actually great.
Great article..