Maybe it's just the factor that I rarely get much more than one or two comments when I post, so responding is just a matter of paying attention.
The other hand of following people you may not be otherwise interested in is that occasionally, you will come across some other the few shining lights. People who built a following with little to no use of bots, who respond to many or most who want to engage in the discussion. People who, otherwise, would not have looked in their direction twice.