Yes, it is complicated. However, few objective facts can really help: no. of exchanges and trade volumes, number of users, Alexa ranking etc. However, subjective issues (self-proxy vote) will be solved with few adjusts in future hard forks and actions of Steemit Inc. If I can buy 3M Steem, I would put 2M SP to downvote absurd comments with self-proxy vote. Therefore, any big whale-investor can solve these kind of issues by him/herself. When platform will get better and get more attention, these kinds of structural abuse will be solved with proper actions either by communities, or STINC or whales/investors.