LOL - Well that happened! You are so funny and brave for putting it out there like that and I commend you. I hope the community doesn't eat you alive because some folks can be so "politically correct" or either just straight out ass kissers; afraid to voice an opinion either way.

Personally, I say the whole fuss over whether or not to do follow for follow or how to properly follow is ridiculous. I don't care if you have just 50 followers.

Keeping up and engaging regularly is tedious and time consuming, especially to new writers who haven't learned to develop a momentum. Who cares if you follow 1000 people because they followed you.

Both you and them can't engage anymore or any less than you're capable of doing. Followers don't mean crap, except to Medium and the quota issue for new members. Besides that, it really doesn't matter. READERS are all you should care about. Since you don't always know who those are (can't tell by the followers), just keep WRITING :-)