This is exactly why the downvote is essential on Hive.

Authors who create content but don't engage with their audience don't really care about what they're creating. An audience can improve the ideas and discussion, and add further SEO that can also bring more views/search engine results.

Value is always going to be subjective, but I think we can say that more views is better for the blockchain as a whole.

Authors who don't care, and likely produce content just for the autovotes and going to keep doing it as long as the autovotes come in... and the autovotes are going to continue as long as it's profitable... so the downvotes make it less profitable. Eventually, hopefully, the autovoters will move their votes to authors who are more engaged and bring more views to their content.

Honestly I think it's hard for most people to think of their content in regards to the blockchain and internet as a whole.