Here's where I start with any of this, including reward pool abuse:

There are no rules on Steemit beyond the code. Whatever the code permits is possible.

Until the code changes, then anything goes.

So, there is no such thing as reward pool abuse, except in the minds of those who claim it exists.

Now, having said that, I also believe in getting along. I'd like to think I'd do that with 725 SP, 7,250 SP, 72,500 SP or 725,000 SP. That is, I wouldn't upvote myself, ever. Instead, I would upvote as many good posts and comments as I could with as much as I felt I should.

I know I am happiest here when I do that (along with getting more than $.50 for my own posts, $.05 for comments).

I know I am deflated when I am limited in that (price of STEEM goes low).

However, if that's not how I felt about how I should operate here, I'd be free to do exactly as others have done: post as much as I want, build my followers, build my SP, ask/receive delegation and get upvoted by as many whales, orcas, dolphins, minnows and plankton as possible, all while self-upvoting and using votebots.

I don't think anyone owes anyone else anything here. There's no social contract to sign. There's no obligation to do anything. I might feel responsibility in one way or another, but I am not compelled to any of it. It is not coded that I must participate in anyway other than I choose to.