While I am very new here, I already can see how I will potentially lose out on a lot of rewards if I refrain from using "vote for vote" or "follow for follow" tactics. But I really want to follow and vote for people that I feel deserve it!

The marshmallow experiment comes to mind. I think that a lot of people using the former tactics are in the camp of taking the one marshmallow. The quick, easy, and gratifying reward, but the one that turns off followers. Whereas what you want to do is wait, play the longer game, and build up a base: and in the long run, get a greater or more consistent reward. Two marshmallows.

Steemit really is the Wild West of the internet right now

I've said this for the past year. :) I wonder if it will actually change, as solutions (if they exist) certainly don't appear to be trivial.