A mining bot already exploited this capability, which warranted a reputation fix. (That's why we have the reputation number next to your name)
Mining for PoW allows you to create, what you might consider, a minnow account. They would then use a bot to send a swarm of minnows to upvote a post, showing that it had a lot of support.
This idea won't work. The bots would use it to thwart all the real minnows.
Oh, and before anyone says "well just stop the PoW from being able to create an account". Traditional botnets on the internet already own a gazillion reddit and facebook accounts. That's how they sell those "5,000 instant hits to your website or likes on facebook for $5.00" deals.
then couldn't this factor be implemented into the criteria of the app - somehow factoring in voters' reputation into the filter, so as to only measure the votes coming from reputable users, so as to exclude vote counts from any accounts that might be such exploiters using bots (which would surely have lower reputation ratings)?
Yes, but it becomes splitting hairs. Minnows first starting out typically are only (1) or (2) or (3) reputation. Usually the first thing they do is make 2 or 3 posts.. and then use the rest of their time to complain and get visibly frustrated. Other ones, start copy/pasting existing content as spam reposts.. only to get downvoted.
The whole point of reputation, is that after you have successfully earned the attention of a real, true, quality post, do you get voted up to a (4) or a (5) or a (6)...
An app can't really fix that. Just patience, understanding, not cheating the system, and keep improving writing style can.
I've seen people over time get better at what they produce, only because it took numerous failures, and extensive reading on tips and suggestions before they finally get a viral post.
You can't save all minnows, and neither can apps. This place seems to bring the best and worst out of people at the same time. Sometimes the worst people end up changing their ways and becoming better.
But that's an internal soul searching thing that has to come from someone with the capability of becoming civilized, decent, and creative. An app can't do that..
What you'd end up with, with an app.. is the same group of people all complaining that the app isn't fair... the app didn't work. The app needs to be fixed. The app this, and the app that.. and you'd end up being in the same place where they are right now. :P
Quite simply, the problem really, is the endless scroll which is too many posts, and not enough curators or readers yet. We're flooded with publishers. I'm pasting my article here, even though it is paid out, so people haven't seen it, can now see it:
https://steemit.com/steemit/@intelliguy/this-is-how-steemit-looks-today-steemit-will-change-it-s-look-and-feel-soon