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As a newbie who hasn't researched all the upvote bots and etc. I agree with you, when I see those bots and other ways to get upvote I feel like it would be cheating, yet if I don't research what is out there to get my posts read more, all the people who are posting meaningless garbage would be ahead of me. Maybe the whole system needs little bit overhauling. Yet I am not really informed enough to know what that overhaul would be.

You're absolutely right. It is indeed a lot like cheating...