I know that people have all the reasons in the world to explain why they do it, but I still find it sad.
And even if they have the reasons, it doesn't make the reasons right. I still bot in ranked out of convenience (I tell myself), but the honest truth is that I just feel good enough to compete anymore on a regular basis.
Every now and again, when I'm not on a winning streak, I'll look to use a few extra energy and do some ranked battles myself. The winning % has not been pretty. Maybe I do need to make more effort to get better with strategies (I still hate using Baakjira), and be more thoughtful for a level 2 play instead of going for the easier level 1 play.
But I'll be damned if I ever use outside assistance for Brawl or Tournaments. I don't care what helpers are available, or who might be breaking the rules once the new ToS are released. For me, those competitions in Splinterlands are sacred, and even if I fail, I am willing to do it without outside assistance.