Nice piece; I'm sorry I just found it. I agree that a great way to find people to follow is by noticing thoughtful, intelligent comments as well as interesting posts. I also try to add some newbies regularly if they put some effort into their intro. I follow a lot of people who follow me--although not necessarily immediately--but I first try to check that the writing is original.
I unfollowed someone I had accidentally followed and notice there was no distinction between the two actions on steemd. Have you noticed that?
I have never checked that on steemd. I've only recently started seeing who unfollows or follows through a mobile app eSteem. The app is not totally user friendly yet, but it gives push notifications, which I like.
Really though, I just want to see consistently interesting stuff, and I like a personal touch.
I'll have to check eSteem. I only recently found steemd. I find it easier to spot new replies there compared to steemit. I find almost nothing related to steemit to be user-friendly!