I'm right there with you age wise and also can't buy a convertible. But as long as we have our hair it's all good...lol.
Seriously though I can completely see your position on all of this. The insane rewards that some complete crap posts get is insane. Anyone who is self voting at a rate of 70, 80, 90%+ has zero interest in the well being of steemit and nobody should reward them. Seriously even if their content is great they don't deserve your votes if they can't bother to share some of their votes back with the community.
I look at the effort made to keep my contest running and know that I could be using my time better if the thing I was worried about was profits. Also could do better by just upvoting more of my own content instead I sit at around 8% with a lot of it going towards the newer steemians featured in my contest. Plus know for sure I could be doing better with the use of bid bots as there is still some profit left in them, but instead I've been growing organically.
Wish I was around for the 7c steem as if I had purchased any of it I'd be further along in my growth but all I can do is keep plugging away. Been buying even at current prices a little each week with the goal of getting my vote up over $1 before prices jump. Think that being able to drop a $1 vote on a post makes a real difference to most people and really looking forward to being able to do just that.
In the end we can only do what we feel is right. Some have no issue being greedy pigs, but like you I just can't behave this way. I'd rather earn less then sell out.
Yes, my hope in the future is tat I am able to provide many of these types of votes.
The earning less is a problem for the future though isn't it? Is the not selling out now while there are a few going to mean that in the future, we will have our dignity but, will be almost useless in helping others?
I don't know that without serious amounts of money that someone new could come in and pass someone in your position. Myself, sure as you could buy the steem I have for a few thousand dollars if you had it. But your in a spot where you are going to have a vote with meaning going forward.
More important as those who you have helped get going continue to grow you will also have us continuing to support you as your words have helped shape our behavior here on steemit. Know for sure you have effected my approach and know more then a few others who have told me that you really helped them when they got started with your posts and some kind upvotes that kept them motivated.
Sometimes I think we underestimate what we are doing out there...well at least I know for sure I do. My last post touched on the fact that I feel others seem to be giving more credit then I have earned yet.
You have chosen to look at a post or two that maybe showed some people how to gain a few extra votes vs focusing on the same post that inspired my last post which listed you as one of the 44 steemians to follow and said this about you:
We can all focus on either the good or the bad around us. When we see the good and choose to focus on the good we breed an atmosphere of positive energy that can only grow. Same goes the other way and sadly as it's easier to instill fear and hate in people focusing on negative things tends to breed negative energy much faster then good can be spread.
We need the beacons of light that help cast a light in the dark corners who call out the wrong doers like yourself, we need those who continue to plug away day after day producing quality content making others look at their efforts and comparing, and we need to keep our dignity if for no other reason then we can look our children in the eyes and tell them the difference between what is right vs wrong.
I think it will be hard to do 'naturally' to this level, even posting decently often enough. However, that also shouldn't discourage anyone considering when I had about 5000 SP, my vote was worth cents still. HF19 changed the curve and everyone suddenly had some value. For better or for worse. What I am saying is, there are always more changes to come.
The reason is that you are actually doing something for the community that has value for them. Not many are. You deserve he credit although it can feel very weird for someone who isn't overly fond of hearing what is personally considered, ' undue praise'. I know this. I dislike praise, I am more comfortable with criticism.
The problem is with this is that the smaller, deserving accounts can't grow unless there are people willing and able to help them grow. Currently, there are too few manual curators and too many insensitive bidbots. I have said before that they are not going anywhere but their current form is harmful. I think it is time to find that middlepoint before too many non-community orientated people grow too much.
As they say, it is going to get worse before it gets better.