still learning

I really don't understand steem yet but I suppose that's part of the fun.
I posted a handful of original blurbs and sketches 2 weeks ago and initially, was delighted by the few cents of steem that appeared. Then it all went away. Good thing I have Esteem to carry me through.

I wonder if the problem is I followed steem's instructions too carefully. I read the "user agreement" completely, so if I cited an external article or image in my editorial comments, I referenced it and provided a link. It seems links are BAD.

Therefore, in a loss for those who want to delve into interesting subjects like mineral discoveries and financial market trends, there will be no more links. It looks like snippets are all that steem likes - the pablum of the "information age".