You are exactly right my friend. This is exactly how I have been feeling lately with this.
Even if the threshold would be higher there will always be a way for spammers to spam. They always did.
I think for beginners of coming here, if the 2 cents thing scares them and they quit because of, then they weren't here for the proper reasons.
A penny earned is a penny saved.
That has a whole new meaning in Steemit. The best example that I can use is me.
When I came here the first thing I wanted to do is support the people. I felt that, even though all I have is a penny to give, that penny has more worth than it's value. It was encouragement. Using my voting power to encourage someone on their post, comment. To show that they are being noticed and deserve to be as well.
Even today when I write, if I am voted a penny I am grateful, even if it really does get rounded off to zero. Doesn't mean that it is nothing, dust in the wind.
In my opinion, 'my two cents', that penny is not made for the money making. It is the test to see if you will make it here.
I admire that you think that way and it is encouragement for you but I want to reward people because rewarding feels good for both parties.
I used to think that ok so all those 0.01 upvotes on comments will be added to the pool of rewards of the person come pay out but knowing that it turns to dust hurts me because I was under the assumption that I was doing good. Yeah there is the psychological factor that it feels good but I also want to reward their effort monetarily. It is a gift that I am freely giving because it is right.
I am with you there for wanting to reward monetarily. That's why I was thinking hard on bots, upvoting people when I don't have the time to visit their posts. I felt bad that I couldn't always be there to support and encourage them. But when I found out that the bots upvote even if you don't agree with the content, I felt that it was best that I just try my best at being there for the people and be genuine and supportive through my comments and upvotes.
When finding out that the 1 cent is... a dusty penny, I had to change my thinking so that it does not become a negative factor during my experience on Steemit.
Although I can say, that I am grateful for the delegations I have so that my upvotes can be worth something more. It's putting a good feeling both ways. We just have to work a tad harder to help the newbies we can to climb that hill a little higher. ;)