I have felt the same way at times, but i can also see that consistent action over time will You'll results.

There is one somewhat unfortunate consequence of the way Steemit is designed, or perhaps the way people respond to it.
Most people here seem to think that this is a vote exchange system, and that it only applies to people you know. My impression is that people here will upvote their friends regardless of the quality of the article.

That is not what I would consider to be curation, but that seems to be how curation is executed here. Nepotism before quality.

Maybe I am wrong. I would very much like to be wrong on this point.