I agree with you on that point, "it's the model and the respect of users' time/value..." and that is also why I stick around. I love the concept of contributors getting compensated directly, relatively proportional to the value they bring. That's a huge improvement over the convoluted centralized business models that benefit corporate entities that run a social media network. That being said, I think an advertising model that has been mentioned to be in the works (I can't remember the source) could help to close the loop for the Steemit economy by increasing the demand for STEEM. This place gets really active in a bull market and really pessimistic in a bear, who would have thought? Anyways, another rise in the market cap of STEEM would really help with retention because there would be users that realize the wax and wane of the market is inevitable, and maybe they should just ride the next tide instead of losing hope. So, maybe advertising is the key to reversing that trend.