While i do agree with that sentiment ( i wasnt here back then so i cant be certain), But i really don't think that bid-bots are the reason why its now impossible for a good post to make it to trending without using the bid bots though. Back then there was less crap posts for good posts to to compete with. Also the demographic was much more capable of quality posts.

I mentioned on another post that one of the problems with the current state of steemit is that the core team has actively marketed to impoverished countries with low skill/iq people and other that don't share the same common language. I'm not in any way saying that these people should not be able to use the platform, but it is directly responsible for the increasing amount of noise that good posts have to compete against for a shot to be seen

the low skill/IQ thing is a globally documented issue that is effectnig more than steemit. The problem is that the people with higher IQ/eduction ten d to leave for the first world on their own accord, This is a problem that Europe has been for quite some time now