Question for @ned, I would love to get your feedback on a solution to make curation rewards better for plankton. I think it could be a real game-changer for Steemit. Happy plankton would have a path to success without outside investment in Steem, which would increase the value of the platform.
So here is my proposal. Plankton don't mind voting 100%, but whales do this rarely. Suppose 2% of the 25% curation reward was carved out and given to the first upvote when the post is 5 minutes old, at 80% or more Steem power. The author would still get 75%, and the current curation system would apply to 23%, but the 2% would be a sort of "finders reward". Smaller accounts could do this often, but whales not as much because there is more money at stake. I think this would change Steemit for the better overnight.
Here is the link to the post. https://steemit.com/steemideas/@giddyupngo/if-i-could-change-one-thing-about-steem-better-curation-rewards-for-plankton
Take care.