I read and upvote your posts. I just do not comment a lot. I am one of those people that are not liked much either. I do not post a lot either because the times it takes to make a post are not worth the reward and that is some of the problems on Steemit.
I do not use bots, I do not make enough here to have the funds to "buy" a vote. I mean to really even try to make any Steem here you have to post 5 times a day and I have too much other stuff to do in my life besides sitting on the computer making posts, just being honest, I see some people doing that and that is their life I guess. I hope you are having a great day!
I agree about the earning potential.
Mostly I do not read any posts. Just time wise it is not feasible for me to spend that much time reading. Most of the time I will see something wrong in what someone said and start a big hullabaloo if I say something.
The only reason I was able to use the bots is cause I was powering down the Steem to use for the votes.
I do think If I can find a way to build up a decent asset here, It can be used for investment into a physical world project that can benefit us all in various ways. It's all a long way off yet at my present growth rate But pennies make pounds.
Like you said it is the people I know posts I read, or at least as many as I can. I think that is the way it is with most people on Steemit. I think many just like to fight in the comments and bring on the drama.
If we could find a useful way to use Steem in the real world I believe it would go through the roof, some have tried but it did not work so well. It has to be something that people will need for sale not just a want or an impulse buy.