Simplify the monetary aspect is something I agree with 100 %. That is something else that scares away newbies. Convert this into that to use to power up. No need for all those steps.

I don't think a max value on an upvote would lead to excessive cashing out in the long run. A more "fair" rewards system means more join and participate which will increase the over all value of steemit in general.

Agreed a better way to find content is needed also. I bet most only glance at their own feeds. A section with content with the most upvotes instead of rewards could be an option.

If Steemit doesn't fix some of these issues a new social media outlet will come out using steemit as its base model + improvements and it will become the next Social Network to be apart of.