I understand @jennamarbles' intention, and I'm sure it's a noble one. But I completely agree with you. Steemit can only work if every steemer here comes with the sole intention of writing and curating good content, engaging in interesting discussion with other steemers etc.
The moment it becomes about a competition, about money, about rewards, it leads to a slippery slope.
Completely agreed, this is one of the obstacles that Steemit needs to overcome to grow. 20k posts are not helping at all...how ironic.