SMACX Diplomacy

I've played SMACX at librarian level for a couple of really long games
now.  Diplomacy in this game seems to be a detriment rather than help.
 I've reached the point now where I don't want anyone contacting me
and I don't want to contact anybody else because it 'always' starts
the same way.  Up front they are either asking for a free tech(usually
my highest level) or they want just about all the credits I have
either for free or to borrow(****ge, ****ge, wink, wink).  At librarian
level, I'm thinking it shouldn't be like this.  At the higher levels,
I can understand that diplomacy will be used just to declare vendetta
on you and just like in other similar games to this.

The only way to counteract this I feel is to not go the tech way and
not to horde energy credits.  Use the credits whenever you can to
finish production so you are close to 0 and go the conquest route.  At
least this way, they won't be trying to get a free lunch all the time
from you.  If they draw you into a war, at least you have 1 ally
instead of being alone against the whole world.

I'd like to hear some other's thoughts on this.  Maybe your diplomacy
experiences are not so parasitic as mine are.

TIA