The debate for and against automated bots will continue. To lay this to final rest, we need some form of data-driven evidence to drive home the point.
That would be beyond mere personal opinions or hearsays.
Personally, as a newbie, I think it's difficult pushing your best posts to the right audience. Sometimes, at the beginning, you often get discouraged, and tend to find other innovative and legit ways to get around that.
For me, this is a serious problem and I am certainly open to learning from more experienced Steemians here. Thanks