I'm not going to go into some long winded discussion or explanation of the purpose Steemit was originally intended for...That horse has been beaten to death 100x over. However there is something to be said for INTEGRITY, PRIDE, and MOTIVATION, or lack thereof.
If you came here looking to make some money, by all means, pursue your goals. But I am disgusted to the point of disbelief at the number of posts asking for upvotes, help from the "Whales", etc. If you don't have the Steem Power to back up the votes, it doesn't matter how many Whales upvote you, you will get a pittance of the proceeds.
What would you say if you saw a man on the sidewalk holding out a cup for change while he types away on his nice new laptop? Well if you are asking for upvotes from the Whales and Dolphins, take a look in the mirror and let the insults fly. If you want to make some money, the equation is a simple one; BUY yourself some STEEM POWER, invest some time into researching proper curation methods, and make sure you post quality content on a regular basis. If your vote matters to the people you upvote, they'll be more likely to return the favor.
If you can't reach deep down inside and find the motivation to work for your money, and invest in YOU, then don't complain. Don't complain about the success of others, don't complain about the stress your Steem Dollar balance is causing you, don't tell us how you tried to hang yourself with a shoelace when your last post only made $.01. Here's an idea, try enjoying some of the quality original content and ideas that others DID invest time and effort into creating. Explore the world of free speech and exchange of ideas that has been created here on Steemit. Maybe you'll learn a little something about the world around you...and yourself.
@ jeremyfromwi, I agree with the outright asking for upvotes. I still read them sometimes but have gone to the point now of ignoring them if the heading or first sentence mentions an ask for upvotes. It should be based on the content whether or not you get upvoted. It's going to take a lot of creating of content for some Steemers because let's face it, their writing is just not interesting enough. Mine I know are not interesting enough but it is what it is and I keep trying. With that said, I think it should be noted that sometimes the reason a post isn't interesting to me is because the subject matter itself is not interesting to me. Sometimes I'm pressed for time to do other things and so don't have time to search for that day for something more interesting. :)
Yea I have been guilty of giving an upvote on an interesting headline, then going back and reading it. But if I see someone asking for upvotes, I just smh because odds are, they will be ignored, or worse, downvoted by a whale.