The problem is the people complaining about HSBI never got a post(s) that was not seen or never got a vote.
They were great posts. They were great people. A lot of those people are still here today because of those of us that gave out HSBI so those people's posts at least showed someone cared.
You could just place them on an autovoter, isn't that better that they get an automated vote by a real person than sbi1, sbi2, sbi3 etc when they post?
I'm not really sure I get the point of what witty said above this comment, how is an automated bought vote "taking the time" to vote someone and thus retaining them. It's almost like you're saying they'll stay cause they got a few cents of a vote compared to actually getting a comment followed by a vote. Now of course we have limited time so can't always comment but an autovote would do the same as what you're defending hsbi for here.
First, sbi1, sbi2, and sbi3 are real people. If a real person did not spend their own Hive, which they earned by writing a post and then gifting a friend a vote for life, there would not be a sbi1, sbi2, or sbi3 vote on that person's post.
When I started, I gave out a vote of one cent. Unless someone else came along, my one-cent vote was turned to dust on a person's post. If I remember correctly, back then, you needed votes of about three cents for it not to be turned to dust. HSBI helped everyone get over the dust thing.
Also, if you didn't post or someone left, that money I spent on them was/is gone. So that is a risk I take/took. It hurts no one. It is up to me where I decide to spend my Hive and who I want to spend it on.
Most of the people I have gotten HSBI for I also have on auto-vote. :D
Auto vote, to me, I use on long-time Hive people that I have followed forever and have been there for me. I can not always read or leave comments......... The past few years, with taking care of my Mom, it has only gotten harder and a reason I have not been writing as much either. So using the auto voter for that makes me feel better knowing I can still help my friends.
So I guess, in the end, I use auto-voting very differently than I do HSBI.
HSBI is to help new peeps get a vote on their otherwise zero-payout posts, to give them the incentive when they are new here to keep posting. I do not think you realize how important that one-cent vote can be to someone, even if there is no comment. If I send someone HSBI, I let them know, so they see the vote and see a person behind it. Plus, I know how thankful I was for those votes when I started.
I hope this helps make things more straightforward.
I have never seen gifting someone HSBI as buying a vote. I see it as using my Hive to give out a gift that keeps giving IF they stay on Hive.
HSBI = my personal onboarding initiative
Mechanically, I think you have it all backwards.
Autovotes pressure people to make shitposts daily. HSBI has a "balance" mechanism which saves up the votes for them. They can take all the time in the world to make their next, best post - without being pressured.
Yes its "auto" voting, but its not worse - its way better.
I read this. I have an answer but need to be more awake to write it out so you understand :D
Simply rephrasing, the more nurturing attention a person gets doing a thing, the more likely they'll keep doing that thing.