i spose this is why i am so concerned. i vote 75-100 posts daily. same as you, some people i vote consistently, some i vote for the curation but others simply because i really like their work, even if they only make $1.20 in rewards. this is important to me. rewarding the little people. because without them telling their friends positive things about steem, we are doomed.

i do however disagree with your belief that if people dont comment they arent reading. for me, i just dont have time nor inclination to make 100 comments a day. i reply where i feel compelled. and im sure others are the same, but i also think that quite a few people just vote and never read. and they do that because they know my work.

i know auto-curators are legit. i also know that they have the capability of changing their vote. if someone i autovote goes off the rails, i change my payout to them until i see improvement. but i also give them slack for not always needing to be top of the game. or for writing something that i may not appreciate.

i agree that delegation for newbs is the way to go now. i'll consider this and maybe power up my 42 steem that has taken me almost a month to earn..