While I appreciate the compliment, upvotes (for now) are not that important to me. I want an ecosystem which encourages the hidden gems to shine rather than one where hidden gems have to play the game and expose weaknesses in the system to maximize rewards.

The current environment slows down the legitimate growth of the platform and in the current economic environment in the technology sector, growth matters and plays a role in determining which platform grow into powerhouses and which disappear. Steem has the first move advantage, rather than prioritize SMTs they should be prioritizing user experience.

If Steem dies, upvotes won't be worth anything to anyone.