Well the reward pool rape is not a big thing in my opinion. If someone invested into Steem well let him earn.
The main problem in my opinion is the trending page:
If you visit steemit.com for the first time. You will see the Trending Page.
If you see a lot of Low Quality posts or advertisment there that has been upvoted by bidbots, this does reduce the chance of new visitors signing up to steem.
Thats why should really make sure that the best Posts are at the Trending Page.