It is a real problem, but that's the way things are. The value proposition for this type of behavior is really high. I upvote my own posts. I don't shitpost. So, I don't feel bad about the $0.17 I pay myself for putting up good content.
But, at the same time, I only post 2-3 times a day and try to comment at least 10-12, spreading the love reflexively, because that's how you build communities.
In fact, I feel Steemit is at its best when it serves a strongly knit sub-community of 30-40 people who share a common interest and work together to support each other's work.
I'm doing everything I can to help people get there, even if all they do is just comment and Resteem, so they can build a nest egg of Steem Power and, in turn, support my work.
I encourage serious content creators to do that as well. I'm bringing my audience from Twitter and Periscope to Steemit and encouraging them to come out from behind the camera and show themselves to the world.
It's small, but I can see positive results in just a few days.
Thanks Neoxian. A good post and shame is a powerful motivator.
👍🏾