I understand how you feel, but it is too early to give up. I've been here 3 months, I have earned about $200 (if I ignore the rise in steem as I just know that on the day I decide to sell, it will collapse just before I can sell).
As for making friends, maybe you are not choosing to view new trends in the tags you are interested in? Also, your feed, unfollow anyone whose posts you don't want to see.
I've met some very nice and interesting people, some from the writing tags and some from philosophy and art.
Meeting people who are interesting, have talent - and are nice (like me), is special and makes up for much of what I do not like about steemit.
What you could do, is reduce your hours spent here. Post and read the posts of just those your find interesting.
As for bots...if you want, check through my posts. In the beginning I had them every day. Now, never. If they do not get a response out of you - or at least an upvote, they rush off in search of greener pastures. After all, they too must follow the rule of 'make a profit or die'.
I hope you will stay, I've both enjoyed your writing and your company.
PS: In previous comment, I meant, people who like me, not that they are nice like me. I don't like being nice, it is just something I can't help being, to those who are nice to me.
I understand what you're say and you're right. There are good people here, I don't deny that. And yes, Steemit is still very young. It's just... I don't see any moderation whatsoever. If I saw an active effort to weed out abusers, maybe I'd feel differently.
I just feel that, if I continue to spend most of my time here (as I have been) I'm either wasting my time or I'll have to change how I use this platform and start using methods I'm uncomfortable with to gain followers and visibility. And I'm just not the kind of person that's willing to exploit my way to the top. Because when, or if, I'm successful, I want to know in my heart that it's because of my work and not some scheme. I'd rather toil in obscurity than rise to fame through being fake.
I'll keep my account for now. Maybe I'll post a few chapters here and there. Maybe some poetry, but I'm going to be writing most of the time in the next few months so, I just don't have the time Steemit requires.
I have been coming across some serious attacks against scammers and there are numerous debates on how they should be handled. Although I am also against scammers and even posted an article about them, I'm trying to remind them that they must not go overboard; a number of scammers are actually newbies who don't know better. After all, what brought them here, is it not that Steemit itself makes itsefl known as the social platform where you get paid? I suggested that they are warned and told to read certain posts made for newbies and if it does not help, then knock their socks off, way down to under zero.
I started writing my 14th book, but then I started taking a stand against cowards, insulting and 'shouting' at them, ridiculing them when they threaten to do something about their govs (in Europe). I tell them to make certain to let the world know what they are doing by going to the pub for a few more beers, that way they'll have a good excuse for not doing anything, but, you know it, they'll do it tonight....
Now this place is also taking up time and I feel my book slipping away from me. I've cut back on the other site and now here, from posting each day from 3 different books of Little Cherine, I am now only posting from one. I hope it means I can get back to writing again.
My problem is, to write, I need to get immersed and live in their world, share from them. I just don't have the imagination to think it all up by myself.