Agreed.
I've seen plenty of examples of what you're talking about. The notion that whales need to 'approve' of your posts to gain any compensation and/or notoriety is a harsh truth.
I do believe is magnifies the way people are attempting to scratch their way to the top via 'appeasing' content versus substantial information and value-added postings.
RE: Steem Has a Severe Glitch That Likens It To Reddit, Facebook and Fox News