On the very first part I definatly feel you. While I love steem and everything it represents, upvoting someone but not seeing any difference feels very hollow. That being said, I am looking forward to the day that will change. 

I actually tried out some bots with the first scraps of reward money I received just yesterday. So far, it has been good. Haven't crushed any big waves, obviously, but I can see how doing that constantly in the right way can help you reinvest your income on here to help further your growth. 

Any tips you can give on using bots as a minnow?