Does that mean you don't think shills are a significant-serious problem, or because you don't believe you can do anything about it then it's not important to you?

E.g. If you consider it to be a problem, and there were possible solutions to shills on HN (and elsewhere), would you be interested in seeing those solutions implemented and/or tested?

I think you're downplaying-minimizing your importance as an individual, and I'm not sure why you'd do that. Does downplaying it enable or justify it to yourself for what could be considered abdicating responsibility, so you can quell stress that otherwise would be felt if you took it seriously as a problem you would take on to help solving?

Because it is a very difficult problem to solve for, and to some degree you're right, you as an individual - "just a guy on HN" - can't do much about it; and such conversations are essentially ban-heavily frowned upon on HN, e.g. not talking about downvotes, etc; because that discussion rarely happens in any deep and serious way on - like perhaps an annual topic posted and pinned by dang to get a deep dive to offer a chance to present their deep dive essays and concerns and perhaps proposed solutions, to perhaps help others understand the severity and seriousness of shills gaming our communication systems-channels and their effects on the development of society? And where such a planned annual event may create a beautiful frenzy to help tech people and others refine their understanding and proposed solutions?