I agree, it's the curation system that needs fixing to support retention. All we have now are die-hards, not Joe-soaps, and Joe-soaps need serious utility, not ideology or additional rewards for the die-hards.
For this we need a new tag system: https://steemit.com/steemit/@manipulable/proposal-make-tags-useful-in-steemit-or-copy-linkedin
RE: STEEMIT IDEA - Higher Reputation Allows More Posts Per Day