The Magic Donkey - Friend or foe?

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So my Flickr obsession continues and I am wasting more and more time on this service. I guess I shouldn't call it wasting as it is all part of the overall package that is my photography hobby. I am intrigued by the "Intrestingness" function and have been vainly trying to get a shot into the Top 500 but have only minor success to date. Intrestingness is determined by an algorithm that Flickr holds pretty close to it's chest and it does tend to get the occasional tweak. While the specifics of the algorithm are secret what is clear is it does take into account the number of views, favourites and comments that an individual photo receives. So at the most basic level, more faves = good, more comments = good, more views = good. The quest for more views/comments/faves has lead to the build up of comments groups in Flickr where you add your shot and comment a specified number of others, the goal being that you can expose your photo to a wider audience and receive more comments than you otherwise would have done. That said, recent (last year) changes to the selection algorithm (the Magic Donkey) penalise users for adding their photos to a large number of groups and in some instances it appears that photos in some specific groups are blackballed from 'intrestingness' selection.

This change has inadvertantly polarised the Flickr community, some users chase the Explore/Intrestingness goal (looking for listing in the top 500 or front page) while some just publish their photos to a wide variety of comment groups and build up a huge number of comments from other users. Unfortunately the later approach tends to reduce the intrestingness (according to Flickr) of a photo and can disqualify the shot from the top 500. So that's the question, what do you chase in the Flickr-verse, do you look for the comments and feedback and interaction with others that comes from participating in the group structure. Or do you maintain the Explore/Intrestingness function as the ultimate goal.

I know that many people disdain the beauty contest aspect that Flickr represents and do not actively promote their photos. Likewise many users (myself included) enjoy the social aspect of the site, the ability to make connections and interact with others all over the world, facilitated by the common love of photography. Some look for the exposure and community kudos that the T500 & Explore represents. Where do you fit in the spectrum?