STEEMIT: Which Are the Steam-ing Posts That'll Give You Lots of $$$??? - Some ST Ecosystem Observations

I joined Steemit two weeks ago. In that span of time I learned some and I still scratch my head on some.

What's "hot" and "trending" and "active" and winning on Steemit?

What do you learn from following, say, the ten top posts in each category day in and day out?

Is there a "golden key" to Steem-ing posting success? Is the statistical variation of the "trends" and the "hot" etc "significant"?

I am no statistician (in fact, I always hated numbers and disliked those who crunch them) and my esteem for anything "trending" is next to non-existent.

I've watched "trending" for years on search engines and the pattern is unchanging. Something similar is happening on Steemit. Here's the five purely empirical patterns I see:

Tech and tech and tech and... tech

"Tech" is an umbrella term here that embraces not only computers, system design, algorithm mixing and pouring and all such but, also, all extensions thereof as in future control systems, implications of tech quantum leaps on our societies, why we should embrace artificial rather than human intelligence etc.

Bitcoin, $$Steem etc

"Cryptocurrencies" galore; investment in CC; the future of CC vs "fiat;" why you should ditch neolithic modes of purchasing, buying, selling etc with the use of "fiat;" need to move away from "emotional control" and embrace machine logic; how CC will usher in a bright new world without most of the burdens that weigh us down today--political, social, philosophical, ethical, and sexual etc etc.

Reviews of things that don't need reviewing

"I just discovered the alternative to socks..." "Mind-blowing new ways of reusing gel pens..." "There's life after death for fast food containers..." "I now know why we don't need straws anymore.."etc

More Bitcoin, $Steem etc

Announcing great, and not so great, personalities of the investment world arriving on board--most of the time with the added benefit of "advice:" /// Well, Ben, what is your message to those who wish to go CC full time? == Well, Dan, the secret is mindset: think beyond the outer edge and you're on track... paper is dead, gold is dead... etc ///

Inner psyche stories on the dark side

"Yesterday, I discovered I don't exist;" "Dude, you've made a mistake, there's no flowers in the toilet (said the little hobbit in my ear)"; "Hey, you out there, there's an open pit for you and me and I gotta get there..." ///

I continue monitoring.