On a micro scale I've had some some great conversations with the Steem guild guys.
Same here. And they have been quite respectful. However, not all of them appear to able to conduct themselves appropriately.
I mean 'payment' for curation to the extent that you're in the top 10 of rewarded authors?
Right. And it's not just one account. It's five...and they're in the top six over the last 30 days. I don't know how much more obvious this issue can be.