Thanks @stellabelle. We all can use these insights.
The last paragraph was really a great conclusion. There's been a ton of resentment lately in light of some huge payouts. Some folks know that they've produced better content for pennies, only to see someone come along and reap thousands because they said "Hi, I'm here" or posted something with no real value but got popularity points turned to $$.
Why not be happy for folks when they bank large, regardless of how you've done? It's not like they did something wrong. I consider Jeff a friend, and was delighted to see him bring in so much so quickly. A twinge of jealousy? Absolutely. I could have held all the pennies from my intro post in one hand. But I had to check that and ask myself the honest questions, recognizing that I am not bringing much of a following. So I need to bring value. Hopefully I succeed and build up a decent reputation for openness, honesty, intelligence and valuable insights... oh and sarcasm. :)
Thanks again.