Is social media borked because we game the system? On one hand, yes. Spam clogs the lanes, making it tougher to move towards stuff you like. On the other hand, not all people hoping to promote their business through social media are very good at it, so those clumsy attempts can be easily sidestepped. Another important thing is that people can connect and add value while promoting. The truth is that nobody wants to come back for 30 posts a month saying merely 'look at my new item'. They want information that is of interest and use to them, and if you can provide it, you rule the social media world.