I confess, I was shocked when I heard @r0nd0n mention doing away with the rewards pool. I was even more shocked to hear some of the leading dapp developers agree that could be a long-term goal. The thought that came to my mind was how some people might see that as a classic whale move to get theirs then shut the gate on everyone else getting a piece of the pie. Hive already has a perception of being beneficial only to the whales and no one else, usually from former Hive users.
The encouraging part about that is that everyone seems to agree that the rewards pool as it is currently programmed is an issue that should be tackled. Downvotes, in particular, seem to be a concern.
I agree with @nathansenn that 95 percent of downvotes are legitimate downvotes. Maybe more. But there are those that are contentious and malicious, unfortunately. And it plays a part in the retention issue that you mentioned. @unklebonehead and I have begun discussing that on the Defluenced podcast (see the Hive5 episodes with @kencode; S2Ep26, 27, and 28).
I'm looking forward to the next town hall. I'm really glad the community is having this discussion and having it in a mature way.