I do come off rude, and it's partly on purpose. Steemit is still new as well. People who "upvote for upvote" or "follow for follow" are looked down upon by many steemians, whales and minnows alike.
It creates an artificial representation of value, and widespread abuse will lead the the reward pool being cleared out. Votes should only be given when someone recognizes real value, not because they think they'll earn money for it. I'll follow you, and hope to see some great content in my feed!