Are you sure that is really so? If it is, something is wrong with us, or with system. As author, I have always considered the quality of content as dominant variable of my work. That used to be the most important criterion while choosing what to publish (apart from my paid work, that depends on employer). Do you really mean that it does not matter to much? That's sad: instead of merit, do we really have to use system of managing whales and paying bots?