I still dont like the idea of the rewards going to the trending page, but from @paulag's analysis, it looks like the trending authors are going to take quite a hit.
Apparently selfvoting is a bigger deal than it would appear at a quick glance.
I guess this explains why the default option has been removed.
If you hadn't noticed, self voting your post has to be done manually, now.
Also included in this revision to the rules, .02sbd payouts will no longer round down.
https://github.com/steemit/steem/issues/1764
That will benefit the little guys, for sure.
Their votes won't round down anymore.
Im betting this excites the little fellas as they will now see their accounts growing slowly, rather than not at all.
It excites me because those rewards will now be going to the accounts they were voted to, and not the trending page.
Now, if we could just get the bullies to stop kicking folks in the shins, we might get out of this hole our reputation has dug for us.
This fork will put a dent in the vote seller's business model because early voting won't go to the author, anymore.
I still think they should show some class and require rewards to be declined.
Then their business model won't be at everybody else's expense.
Promoted content will be clearly marked, but still on the trending page.
They can collude with each other to set a minimum cost for votes and make more money than they are now.
All while lowering the barrier to entry.
Instead of it taking 400+sbd to get to the top of trending, it could be had for less than 100.
Instead of vote sellers being pariahs, and leaches, they would be legitimate businesses, albeit in an unclassy business.
Kinda like strip club owners.
Instead of taking their profits from all of us, 'because they can', they would have no impact on others at all.
Instead of proof of wallet, maybe we can get back to proof of brain.
