RE: Voting-bots are not (inherently) bad
Let me ask you, are you familiar with the concept of curation rewards? It is something that can be earned by those who take the time to spot popular content early on. Since you pulled your boost just one minute after posting, you completely wiped away virtually any curation reward that can be gained from voting your post.
I am aware of this. And I know, it was not the nicest thing to do. Normally I wait the 30 minutes, before I buy a push. This was one of two exceptions so far, because I invested a bit more than I usually do and didn't want to lose so much in the end.
You are, of course, right that this strips the curation rewards and there is nothing that I can do, to present it in a nicer way.
The thing is: as someone who has not much SP, I cannot rely on curators. Sure, I always appreciate it, if I get decent upvotes, but this is not always going to happen. Using bots enables smaller accounts to get more exposure, using them within a short timeframe is unfair, but ensures they will not lose much while doing it.
I must admit: currently I am not so sure, how I will use them in the future.