Very level headed assessment.

I fluctuate between being excited for the future of Steem (esp. with SMTs) and disillusioned by the current model. There is something of a ponzi element going on, in that the early you got in, the better you have done. I was lucky to start off a while back, and having never put anything in but my own thoughts and images, have made some money. For those just starting out, it must be demoralising. I see some n00bs with great content (much better than mine), but they earn a small fraction of what I do. On the other hand, I see some trash from whales and dolphins earn considerably more than some of my better stuff (@haejin being a prime example).

The distribution and reward pool model is what really sucks - everything else is pretty good - some strong communities, decent UI, fast blockchain, etc.

The only way I can think to level this out is to restrict repeat large payouts. Here goes:

• Whale A votes on content of User X with 100% on Friday
• Whale A votes on content of User X with 100% on Saturday, but the voting power of repeat vote is only now 50%
• Whale A votes on content of User X on with 100% on Sunday, but the voting power for this instance is now 25%

This system of diminishing vote power for voting on the same accounts might encourage Whale A to vote less for User X, and instead sepnd some SP on User Y or Z. After a week they can vote 100% on User X again.

Such a model might help redistribute votes amongst a greater variety of users, and limit massive recurring payouts for the Steemit elite.

Algorythmically it should be possible, but what do i know.....?