Webcomic Vote Incentives...Ethical or No? ~Suu999

I guess this isn't really a debate it's a thought I had in mind regarding webcomics. If you visit a webcomic site on the Interwebs, usually the author has got a link or two for you to vote for him or her, and sometimes they will have a 'vote inventive', which is generally a picture they've drawn or a preview of future pages. I don't think it's right for an author to do this for every update he/she makes, since incentives won't give them true stats.

This is what's been bothering me. There is this one webcomic, "Phoenix Requiem" (www.seraph-inn.com) that I visit regularly. I stopped liking it a while ago because the story is progressing far too slowly, and the only reason I read it now is to learn how NOT to write a webcomic. Regarding vote inventives, the author posts a picture, usually a sketch or a painting, and puts it up on a button for BuzzComix, and I think that's going to bring on her downfall. The only reason I vote for her anymore is BECAUSE of the pretty picture. I think that's comparable to being the popular girl in school, but only being popular because you bring free cookies to lunch. I believe the author is only going to lose readers eventually once they see through this.

An example of a webcomic that does not have vote incentives is "Renaissance" (http://www.renaissancecomic.com/html/comic.php). Granted, that comic is not as pretty as the above, but I've been voting for it regularly not because of a pretty picture, but because I enjoy its story. I don't feel that I've been tricked into voting for him. He will probably gradually gain more popularity because of this, if pageviews are important to him.

What do you think of the ethics of vote incentives for your favorite webcomics? Do you feel tricked into voting for a certain author or do you do it because you like them? Give me your opinion.

~Suu999