I don't suddenly think I should magically be paid in currency because I told that person I wanted them to make more content.
The content curation thing here is really alien. It has created an environment where people think they should be financially rewarding for saying they like something.
From the user side, curation rewards are about the only thing that sets Steemit apart from the competition (average users don't "experience decentralization", nor care about it). The other established platforms are better than Steemit, in some cases by light-years, at what sets them apart from the crowd.
Are you suggesting that Steemit stands up to Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Medium, YouTube, based only on its content being saved into a block-chain?
Let's not forget, YouTube pays content creators, so Steemit doesn't really set itself apart by rewarding bloggers in Steem. In fact, YouTube's payment system gets the nod from the average user since it pays in fiat, something people generally understand and trust.
Edit
I read the rest of your post to discover that you aren't suggesting to ban curation rewards altogether.
My bad for reacting before I read through your entire post.
Thanks for the edit. I do see some benefits to the idea of curation. I simply think the algorithm doesn't tend to lead to what I believe was the outcome intended. So I do think it needs some adjusting.
As you saw I was only mentioning those other social medias as an explanation that we are PAID for our vote also by hopefully the content creators we like making more content. That may not interest people enough to justify them using Steemit over another platform, but it was me illustrating that there are other factors in the scheme of "payment" or "reward" beyond the pure crypto currency aspect.
I can see you understood this though.
Brutal nesting!
People shouldn't have to change their blogging habits to accommodate a rewards system. These photographers spent hours taking and processing photos. I produce digital art and I often do include some sort of story to go along with the art, but not always. The images take many hours to produce. I see many artists who post a few images of their latest creations and give a few details of their thought process. These people can't be limited or suffer because those seeking rewards are forced to stare at nothing. All this does is create downtime. Steemit isn't about long essays. Even these poets would take a hit. Some of the most popular videos of all time on youtube are seven seconds long. People want creative freedom.
Brutal Nesting 3
Alright, if the curator spends time writing a comment, that helps.
Also, I do have a soft place in my heart for those who use bots for legitimate purposes. Some of my oldest supporters have me on auto, which I appreciate, because they appreciate my work and want to support me. They come back later and read. Some live on the other side of the world. I actually encourage people to do this, whereas I used to be against it. I need to make money, and I don't mind them making money from my product because that's what pays me. I'm back to square one. I don't know what to do or say. If people just voted responsibly, supporting the creators they enjoy and not going for the easy rewards, there wouldn't be a problem. I don't know what to say anymore.