Perhaps this is really the * NEW * Steem..
https://steemit.com/steem/@jerrybanfield/voting-bot-ends-autovotes-for-up-to-4000-followers-begin
Not that I am much of a fan of Mr. Banfield; but he is doing something interesting. Perhaps it's strictly for personal promotion..
However it's the first time a WHALE is giving up their voting bot for automatic CURATION. Can you believe it? Not spending a penny and a whale puts you on an auto-vote.
I think it's a brilliant move on his part because you no longer have to rely on competing BOTS and still make a profit. Imagine you use your whale auto-vote for up to 4000 Steemians a day. That's a lot of curation; and it's somewhat more legit (even though he doesn't actually READ anything).
It also creates a massive following for those who want * FREE * growth. Yes you could write a shit post and get the vote, but that's the * OLD * Steem.
In any case, it's a different and refreshing strategy to see. Hop on to his auto-vote trail. It's an extra upvote and why not? It's more than what some bot owning whales are doing.