I'm really new to steemit, (and an 'old' twat here, at 49 )Only 6 days posting. so never mind 'grey areas', it's more like dense fog at the moment.
I am all for free markets - my life has been one free market.
Ethics is the issue on steemit, as I see it .(please tell me where I am wrong, and clear some fog).
IF people are just gaming, without 'productivity' being their motivation-their goal, if you will, then the point of steemit, is nothing more than a well paying video game.
Some people may say that is valid.
However, but I would counter that by saying seeing that as a quality , is a sociopathic behavior. - The end justifying the means. - this being a very late 20/21st century mindset, which doesn't appear to be doing many countries, much good at the moment.
Without genuine productivity, (material or otherwise,) the value cannot be sustained, or even be of value, if you see what I mean.
That being the case, steemit is doomed as a free market forum. - there is no produce in the market, so to speak.
I'm sure there are ways to change the paradigm, and dis-incentivize the system being gamed - but I'll have to understand it all a lot more than I do at the moment, before venturing there.
I'd be really interested in your thoughts, as a 'veteran'.

cheers