I wrote this comment about a month ago, when someone proposed removing curation rewards from the comment pool. It's also relevant here, even moreso:
"I don't really have a strong preference, but it is important to be aware that there are deep ethical issues associated with harvesting votes on comments without rewarding the voter. This is basically what all other platforms are already doing. One of the things that makes steemit different is its attempt to reward all parties who add value. Eliminating curation awards on comments seems like a step backwards. I recommend this video, where AI expert Jaron Lanier discusses the same phenomenon on other platforms. Here is a brief excerpt that captures the argument.
This pattern—of AI only working when there's what we call big data, but then using big data in order to not pay large numbers of people who are contributing—is a rising trend in our civilization, which is totally non-sustainable. Big data systems are useful. There should be more and more of them. If that's going to mean more and more people not being paid for their actual contributions, then we have a problem."
The only thing that has changed since I wrote that comment is that I have thought more deeply about it, and now I do have a strong preference. Eliminating curation rewards would be saying that curators should perform unpaid labor for the authors and the steem power holders. I disagree with that proposal.
This is probably the one valid argument I have heard in favor of keeping curation rewards. (IMO)
Wish I could take credit for it. That reminds me, I really need to set some time aside to read "Who Owns The Future." ; -) Seems like it would be very relevant to steemit.