MMMM!

I know, this isn't DeviantArt, but maybe some of you post some art there, so you might be familiar with this.

First off I like to thank EINsamer-wANDERER, who gave this term.

I'm probably making myself unpopular and appear like an ungrateful bastard, but since it happened, please allow me to say a few words about this.

Personally I write...strange stuff, that mostly appeals to only a few people. So I'm used to a very tiny readership, who don't even comment regularly. That's completely alright, because like they say: You write for yourself. If it manages to entertain some people, bingo!

Of course that doesn't mean that I don't care about my readers. It's very important to me to keep good relations, as every reader who bails out is a huge loss, that can't be compensated for. (And I like to discuss my stuff with them, harhar.) So if my stories "fish" potential fans, especially if they fave and comment, then it's equal to a jackpot and I throw a party.

But what if...
...it's only done for advertisement?

You probably know it: You submit your art and a few seconds later, you receive a notification that your deviation got a fave. It isn't that bad in the case of pictures, as one look is often enough to decide if you like it or not. Even if you are not necessarily a fan of the content, you can still fave it for the quality.
Wait, what about literature? Where you actually have to read it, tackle with the plot, characters, world building and more? And don't tell me you fave it just because it's pleasantly formatted and the spelling and grammar are good.

Now you could say that a fave is still a fave, and besides, it is only supporting you. Does sound like a win-win-situation, right? Well, until you realize that a first-minute-fave is meaningless and your deviation drowns under all those other first-minute-faves, practically leaving you where you started - and a "fave", that just says "Screw you" in your face. Especially horrible for newcomers, who lack the fanbase to shrug them off easily and want to know if anybody cares for their art.
They're also very obvious to discern.

Considering that a llama is merely annoying and their notifications can be disabled, though useful for advertising yourself, a first-minute-fave is actually worse.

Even though the possibility that someone will read this is low, I still wanted to voice my opinion.

My conclusion:
Please, don't do them. You are only destroying the hopes of the (probably new) artist for your personal gain. If you aren't actually interested in their art, but want to support them, then at least give a llama. Even if it won't get recognized.

Feel free to discuss the matter with me if you want, I would be really grateful. Maybe there are some points I didn't consider?