It would seem that a great number of participants a on the platform are here to generate income by employing various mechanisms that sometimes results in content with limited appeal and real value. Left to be judged by it merits, a great deal of content probably would not be promoted were it not for 'bidbots' . That being said, I would tend to believe that the typical Person on Steemit who's primary Motivation is not seeking to make quick money but rather interested in providing genuine and well thought-out content is more concerned with communicating ideas and generating meaningful community engagement. Earning some financial rewards are an adjunct benefit. Nevertheless, a real concern for some people who post content to Steemit is what return on investment for their efforts can they realistically expect? Again, for some it comes down to is cost benefits analysis. If one commits significant time and effort in researching a topic, drafting and refining text, adding custom visual elements and making revisions and quality checks only to experience limited feedback if at all, after a time, one may reach the conclusion that is nothing to be gained in participating on the platform, as you may well understand.

One possible solution to this dilemma is showcase members who have faced similar challenges and have become successful without the aid of bidbots and the like. They can serve as mentors for helping other struggling members in improving their skills. Mentors can be presented with various incentives from among willing 'whales' or Steemit itself towards seeking out and developing promising 'minnows'. Beyond that, Steemit could find ways to encourage members activerly seek out meaningful content and reward authors with much less emphasis placed on whale or dolphin status. This would be good for the health of the community over the long run.

These discussions are very important for the community, thanks.