Many of us have lamented this current fact. It works similar to voting for political parties in many countries. There are usually 2 or 3 very big, established parties. But, there are often smaller parties that are more aligned to a voter's beliefs. Yet, nobody votes for these smaller parties because nobody thinks they have a chance of winning. So, everyone instead votes for a big party candidate that comes closest to matching their political views. If everyone truly voted according to their political beliefs, then political elections would turn out quite differently.

I think the same applies to voting on Steemit. I applaud and support your ideas for changing this, especially part 3. This could really prod curators to vote according to their own reading tastes. As for all the struggling writers out there, I would say "don't despair, keep writing content that appeals to you." Steemit is just beginning. Even if your content isn't noticed now, it certainly could be in the future. All the best!