The thing that scares me about steem is that people don't have a single clue the difference between a blockchain and a platform, this is how i know we are in a bubble, i know @valorforfreedom already knows the difference, but many assume other people don't, and i'll be honest, when i joined steem i also had no clue what the difference was, i had to do my own research... SMT, Dtube and Dlive will be the things that make this blockchain great!
And i think running a node for passive income is a great thing... yes, the price might be down atm, but sooner or later it will rise, and when it does the servers will be paied for and you guys will get some good return!
You are like a % of a company, this company isn't making any money atm, almost all companies have some losses here and there, especially at the start, but when the price rises you will get a return from it! Which is always great!
Edit: People also don't know the difference between a coin and a token, or a smart contract, or dividends, passive return, taxes, bubbles, FUD, FOMO, Proof of work, proof of stake, Dapps, i could keep going but i'm going to stop here xD
I'm here to run my streaming networks, giving a voice to anyone who wants to express themselves via live audio and video and to operate my steem exclusive, block chain transparent worldwide humanitarian aid foundation. Running a node is giving back, while helping to ensure the platform remains stable for these projects into the future. It compensates for the costs of operation, time, attention and accountability that come with the job.
Beyond that, it's a free for all why people choose to do it. I witness to make a holistic package out of my offerings and ensure their longevity, while ensuring a place for others to do the same and be heard. My partners in our witness trio team, operating under my name of Sircork, who are both community leaders providing opportunities for any voice to be heard in other formats that complement my video/audio offerings to the steem ecosystem of users, would agree and do the same.
Running a node for passive income, though, is a losing proposition long term, because you simply won't get noticed or voted up, unless you bought the position, then you have a very long time to get topside again.
So there's that.