Should I pursue mining for a steady source of income, or would it be more beneficial to directly purchase coins with an eye on long-term potential?
If you have the resource and the means which include knowledge, finances then mining bitcoin is the way to go. The most crucial component is electricity. Once you have this whether you are paying for it or you are using a renewable source of energy, consider mining. A reason I said this is because you get more bitcoins when you mine than when you just invest a large amount and hold, the bitcoin you have through direct investment will remain constant,