Funny you mention @slowwalker. I don't know what s/he supposedly did and I don't much care. I do know that I liked @slowwalker's latest post, that's all that matters to me. If s/he felt the need to boost that, so be it.

feel entitled to move your own content up to trending

I don't feel entitled, I AM entitled to market myself however I see fit. That's EXACTLY how it should work, provided, everybody has the same opportunity to do so. Advertising is part of life. Not part of life is willfully destroying other people's marketing efforts. It simply isn't right. I grant you, the means provided to advertise as well as the means to keep it down are poorly developed on the Steem which is part of the problem.

Everyone thinks their shit is the greatest.

Yes, and so do you, as evidenced by how you're fighting tooth and nails for your point of view. And not only is this O.K., I would think less of you if you didn't. Although I don't much agree with your opinions, I will cheer you on to put them in front of as many eyeballs as you can. But that's just me, I guess.

point to others doing wrong

Isn't that what you're doing?

seem only to be dedicated to reinforce what's been going wrong all the time

I haven't decided whether I will dedicate myself to it yet. That something is "going wrong" is a matter of opinion and mine happens to be different. So I certainly won't be helping on this path to make Steem "better." I liked it better before, for the most part.

it's maybe really best to leave

Yes, that's one of the options I'm considering. I have always rejected the corporate meddling on platforms like Youtube, Facebook, etc. and was proud of producing videos exclusively for the Steem and not them. Thanks to the efforts of some people, those corps are beginning to look not half bad. I can't begin to describe to you how sad that makes me!

won't stop us in our efforts

Did I say "cheerleader" before? Now it sounds more like zealot. I know from past experience that you're one of the good ones, but we have a saying in Germany: "Well intended is the opposite of well done." Perhaps you think about that a little, just in case you could be wrong. I know I will.

Anyway, I appreciate the exchange, but let's agree to disagree for today. Have a great day --- Folker