My first impression came through an article that jumped right into how steem and steem dollars work. That sent my antenna up and I proceeded with caution. Now, even after only a week, I'm fairly confident it's not a scam. I'm also seeing more and more articles that emphasize Steemit as a community with altruistic potential. As those become more prevalent, I think concerns will assuage. It's the difference between someone saying "I found this great new community" and "I found this easy way to make money."