I posted a few things that earned zero or a few pennies that took a few hours (aka some effort) to compose. If people just don't care what the article is about, well that is understandable but sometimes seeing a blurb of incoherent text or a unfunny meme netting a lot just because the author is well known can sting a bit. When my post only got rewarded a tumbleweed.
I sometimes then try to optimistically think I honed my writing skills and learning a foreign language making it so not everything was for naught.

On to cleaning: I flag sometimes, when they blatantly just comment to upvote themselves. Not even commenting on the subject at hand. It just fills me with disgust sometimes, but a flag of a few cents only do so much. Wish that people weren't afraid that much for repercussions.