m0useanswered grow question a year ago lol your not wrong, its all based on likes and many many MANY users farm likes by writing bullshit on peoples grows like "great job keep it up" or "nice grow buddy" just in the off chnage someone likes it, and shocker they do, SPAM is the way of many users, plus there are a good handful of gurus who do this just for the status of being guru and exploiting the sites sponsors. When I was new to the site I thought wow so helpful, then found out why they do it and then thought fucking cucks.
Likes are a really vapid way of showcasing a growers skill, and on a site that is free with no fees or little to moderation its as good as its going to get. to evaluate all the growers and the spam bots that are populating more then a cockroach infestation would be to many resources and hours. Have you seen people they pick for the contests.. its a joke. they "growdiaries" does not care.
If you truly don't like it, interact more with people on contest pages and see if anyone notices your style and will toss some likes your way. but the good OG growers know who can grow buy looking at your pics. likes are all dick waving and does not matter unless you want some sponsors. Your could do what they do, create a fake profile, like all your own stuff and then when your called out about it, shut that alternate profile down lol... yes this happened to a guru on this site and they where a little bitch about it.
The only person that matters on this platform is yourself and how you want to use it. never forget it and fuck the rest.
Good Luck!