It is good to see some innovation and a genuine attempt at combating abuse via bidding services. 2 questions I have that might bring this initiative unstuck.
Does it create a barrier for entry for new Steemians? Potentially there is risk of creating a mega-circle jerk.
Once someone is whitelisted and their behaviour turns abusive, is there any corrective mechanism to remove a pre-whitelisted member?
I think potentially this is a very good initiative if done right and participants act in the right spirit.
Very good questions. It doesn’t create a barrier for entry as people who are not whitelisted can still use Minnowbooster, they just won’t enjoy the additional benefits that the whitelist brings. In time new Steemians who produce quality content will attract attention and receive an invite from those who actively curate the whitelist. And if someone on the whitelist begins to abuse the service, they can still be banned if someone follows our normal abuse reporting procedure through our Discord support chat. Being on the whitelist does not offer special protection from that.
Normal abuse reporting procedures apply - we have no problem making the abusers fly. They can be reported in our Discord server, where it can be discussed, whether they are fit for the whitelist or not.
As for the barrier for new Steemians, i hope all reviewers don't only look at the user's rep, but actually look at the quality as well.
To up the accuracy, we might discuss whether to up the needed positive or negative votes to 5. This is still a beta, so all suggestions are welcome and all reasonable suggestions will be considered.