Tree Tuesday: How the Mighty Have Fallen, plus a free rant!

The Fallen:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 55mm, ISO200, f4, 1/40s}

^{Olympus XZ-1, 28mm, ISO100, f4, 1/15s}

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 120mm, ISO200, f5.6, 1/125s}

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 55mm, ISO800, f8, 1/60s}

<rant>

Maybe some day we will also see the demise of the schemers and circle jerkers, but I sincerely doubt a rule set exists that can prevent such behaviour in the presence of a small group of greedy short-term thinkers with a combined large-enough stake.

I even suspect that large-wallet circle jerkers would be thrilled if we brought back the n² curve; it may solve some other problems, but it would also greatly enhance their mutual-masturbation rewards at the expense of others, and be a cure worse than the disease.

Having said that: I suspect no setting of percentages or bending of curves will stop what we see before us; they will simply find a way that is adapted to the rule set du jour, and the combined stake of the rest of us doesn't even come close to being large enough to do anything about it.

It is how Steemit was set up and how the Steem distribution was from (almost) the start, and I don't think the current problems can be solved within the same sort of thinking that went into creating Steemit, unless people with very large stakes start to oppose the current happenings. Just a few do.

Support those who do, and, if you haven't got substantial flagging power, mute those you think are raping the reward pool. It may be just a statement, but it will serve your long-term interests better than being sycophants hoping for crumbs while implicitely validating and approving shady behaviour.

</rant>