It is easy to visit the newcomers community or simply click on #newcomer. Right now there als newcomers joining CCC so it easy to reach out to them and read, leave a comment and your vite no matter if it 0 or more.what counts is to know if what you wrote is appreciated and if you ask most posts are read sooner or later and do not sink into the swamp after seven days like @evagavilan remarked.

Like you I received help after a very long time and been drilled to also read and comment and vote. If it comes to voting it indeed isn't related to the quality of a post. In average we give the vote to someone we like and in rare occasion to a few we do believe wrote some great which can be a quite, a poem, a long take or helpful comment. Next to that good photos and art deserve upvotes since although it doesn't always looks like it, but there's a lot of work invested in it (well, in average it is the case especially if AI isn't used like @bambuka remarked at an earlier poll).

Like you and many others I never went through that newcomers achievement program and I doubt I would have done that since Steemit was meant to be a safe place, meant to be anonymous and bring people into great danger.
I understand why step was taken to fight scammers and still communities exist where people have to go through a second check. If you ask me this is by now something out of the past and no longer needed, which is good.

If it comes to scammers, a users of the system and AI posters more steps should be taken but Inam afraid those small ones aren't biggest abusers of the system.

I am sure you know what increased your visibility.
I hope there will be a time we all can save for the (nearest) future although Inam sure the governments will try to avoid that.

Thanks for your comment. Indo believe this is an inspiring one.