The trending page being “trash” will, thanks to the free market, if it remains, end up driving folks away from Steemit, which will be a good market signal to others that the behavior needs to stop, resulting in social consequences such as flagging and ignoring said trash, or the bots being abused.
I find nothing wrong with using services to boost one’s posts. It’s a great tool for good authors. What you are doing here is what needs to be done. Voicing your free market opinion. If these articles truly are trash, you should raise up a small group to flag them down, and even the bots they use, so they can be “blacklisted” from the services, if that is what you feel is right.
There’s nothing, however, fundamentally wrong with Steemit it even “vote buying” in my opinion, though. Let the market decide, and Steemians take action.
kafkanarchy84,
I believe that the majority of community members are adults. Having said that, I believe strongly in the idea of self-policing. I believe we have it within ourselves, but there seems to be a prevailing attitude that you post as much "trash" and eventually it will stick. I agree with you wholeheartedly, that if the "trash" remains on the trending page, it will end up driving folks away from Steemit. Yet, like richardkrill has done, posting about it, making others aware, is one step in the right direction.
Vote buying isn't illegal....as far as Steemit is concerned. Try that in politics or in business and its called bribery, influence peddling.
I am new here, and I, like richard and I assume you and others, enjoy steemit for the community and the decentralized system, the self ruling, rather than being ruled. I guess it is an issue of awareness, and what's good for steemit as a whole, rather than just the individual and their desire for wealth, fame and power. It didn't start with steemit, and it won't ever end.
I will continue to generated quality posts and choose to let the merits of my work, speak for me. I won't use vote buying, just because to me, it indicates I don't believe in my content, I believe I need help. If it's good, it will eventually be recognized and rewarded. Is it a harder route to go, sure, but more pleasurable, because it is results that I produced alone.