Nice post.

No, really! :)

I can't stand the "follow4follow" etc, and I generally check the user's comments if they made a short, "no-reference-to-my-content" comment. If they make the same comment everywhere, then I flag them and write a comment telling them why, including the URL to their comment page, and explicitly state "Steemit is an open platform, everything you do is visible."

I tend to upvote every comment though, just not all to 100%. Most comments I give a 5% upvote to, and if it's a friend or really good comment, then I'll increase it. Previously it was a "ternary" approach -- either no upvote (if they're mean, basically), a 5% upvote in general, and a 100% upvote for great content or close friends. Now I'm starting to vary it more, sometimes giving a 50% upvote, etc.

Some people don't write much though! Best to tread lightly. I also, when downvoting, will say "demonstrate that you understand this and I'll remove my downvote."