Steemit is a pretty complex platform, and explaining all the stuff that goes on behind it and makes the site work isn't easy to explain ...
So how would I be able to explain the concept of steemit to someone who has absolutely no technical knowledge, like my grandma?
Here I go:
You know how money is being printed right? It's a factory with huge machines that print the dollar bills.
But now instead of the machines in a factory, imagine people writing articles.
We don't get paid with dollar bills, but we get paid in a currency called STEEM.
When we write an article, it's like our very own production of the currency STEEM.
STEEM is just like the dollar, the euro or the british pound - it's a currency.
So if I'd like to use my salary, I have to simply exchange STEEM for the currency that is useful to me!
The better I work, the more salary I get - makes sense, right?
But in this job you don't have a fixed salary.
Your salary depends on several factors, like how much effort I put into my work, how much I work, and more.
Now if people like my work, they can actually give me a tip and that will be extra money for me.
Certain people are always walking around the factory, checking people's work, and giving them tips.
It's a very very large factory, so it's easy to lose track of all the workers, and if you don't stand out, you might not earn much at first.
The factory has a very smart surveillance system and everything we workers to can be traced back.
It's like a very strict Boss from whom you can't hide anything.
But that's also great because nothing will ever be lost or deleted - the factory keeps a record of everything that has been going on within!
Obviously, this does not explain the WHOLE concept of steemit...
But I guess seeing it this way makes it a lot easier to explain than talking about cryptocurrency and blockchain!