Is Dev.to a community or a club? I'm leaving, but first, let me explain.

After some months of posting on dev.to, I'm moving on. Not out of frustration (well, maybe a little), but because I think this platform has a structural problem worth naming. I write about different stuff, and joined some challenges. My posts take real effort, they're not "10 JavaScript tips" listicles. And yet, week after week, the same handful of authors dominate the trending section. The weekly top badges? Same names. The homepage? You already know who'll be there. I don't think those authors are doing anything wrong. But I do think the platform's reaction-based ranking creates a feedback loop: popular authors get more visibility → more reactions → more visibility. New or niche voices don't stand a chance unless they game the same system. Dev.to markets itself as an inclusive community, but from where I'm standing, it's started to feel more like a club where membership is measured in follower count. Some honest questions before I go: Does anyone else experience this, especially writ