Hey @sqlinsix!
Actually my article didn't pretend to address the spam problems @timcliff was bringing out in this article, I rather tried to find out where our Steemit ship is navigating to in general.
Reducing spam is surely an important task when it comes to improve the content structure. Still before taking actions you need a strategy that follows a vision. Now we're lacking a vision, thus we actually don't know what the overall plans for this platform are. Everybody is working on their little projects and task forces and apps and promotion, but there is no common goal.
From my personal point of view I believe that even in decentralized organizations you need a leader, someone or a group of someone's that represent the ideas of the community, some personalities you love to follow, people that pull and push at the same time.
Now you see what happens when you lack leadership: stagnation.