Well we can't predict the future but we can try with some applied pattern processing.

I do agree with you that communities will work similar to tags. The popular ones like SCIENCE and PHOTOGRAPHY will no doubt become popular communities. The one thing which I anticipate happening, apart from the usual whoring of rewards.. is that as each community will have an appointed (self or voted) leader, there will be WAY MORE responsibility for maintaining an honest community. In effect, this will work to clean up steemit somewhat.

The bad actors and actions will be easier to realize. So it will be an incentive for communities to become "THE GEMS" so to speak of steemit. As the communities with the most positive effect on say: sign ups, buzz generated, in-the-news, etc.. will no doubt become places of congregation for members of the platform that still hold on to the vision of a steemit where QUALITY & VALUE (voted organically) IS REWARDED.

As, some communities might not even want any bot-voted content. Giving those who detest their use a place to exist and develop without that element. Many ways in which the simple act of creating pockets within the system will give a real place for many who feel lost in a sea of chaos which is steemit. There is good here but it's all hidden under the giant pile of waste.

Spanish communities and Korean communities for instance will have an official place within the system where they can exist united and seek each other out easier to help with their growth. Communities will not be a magical transformation though. So it's important to note that it's THE PEOPLE that will determine their utilization. If the masses choose to continue with the same broken system then shiit.. can't do much about that. The ones who are whoring the rewards though will stand out like dogs balls and they might find themselves isolated if the majority of the communities are working to a more sustainable and "fairer" system of rewarding content.

BUT!.. Communities don't exist and may never!... so this was all just my opinion.