Dear @knircky, i am sorry but i cannot give you suggestion about code, but i would like to give my suggestion to make this platform perfect in my point of view:
- create a new pleace for user who set the bounty to make better control how to divide the bounty to the commenters
- create an area where people without RC can post anyway and who have over RC can help them to make them post pubblished.
I know it is more easy to say than to do, but i think if you can make these options, it will be the best platform all over Steemit