Yes, yes, yes to the bullying bit! That is exactly how I've been feeling since somehow becoming a target of the spambots. I spend time writing posts which I believe are enjoyable to read, then find that the vast majority of the votes are downvotes by spambots. As a new steemit user, I've definitely considered just not using the platform.
One of the things I really enjoy about steemit is the relative lack of trolling in the comments, but the spambots are definitely on the verge of winning this round. I appreciate everything being done to counter them and truly hope there is a long term solution of some sort in the works.