I'm only recently back (last week). On Steem/Steemit you'd see some very powerful accounts (top 20 type power) that were known for arbitrarily downvoting things. Then you'd find somewhere that they made a simple comment in a post and up voted that comment $8. The comment votes would fly under the radar.

I voted on comments, but never my own. Why? I liked to encourage the engagement and discussion with people.

The truth of the matter is that if there is a way to exploit or game a system people will do it. This is also why all Utopian Ideas ultimately lead to failure.

We can try to discourage it, but I don't think we can stop it.