I'm really turned off by all the bots on here to be honest it's part of the reason I stopped using Steemit for a few months. It felt fake. But - I got a commission for a custom painting from @redrica who found me on here. I slowly began to learn a bit more about the platform, and bottom line is it's better than the more traditional social media sites. Take away the $ and still, the majority of people I've connected with are posting content I enjoy that gets censored on facebook, and now even more and more on IG. Artists, photographers, etc... Good points in your article about the long term growth potential of Steemit. I truly think all bots should be banned - organic is the best way to grow an audience. I'm just a plankton in a pond full of minnows dolphins and whales though so... lol