It didn't take me long after joining (I've been here since March) to see that this platform is deeply flawed. Bots and whales kill it. You're quite right about it rewarding antisocial behaviour!

Can it be saved? I don't know. It *certainly* has potential! I guess it will come down to a case of: can the pros outweigh the cons. Or perhaps it will be determined by what other social media platforms turn into. 

I wouldn't write Steem and Steemit off yet, not by a long shot (the user base is growing), but Steemit would be silly to assume that a bright future is a certainty.