You've given me something to ponder...

The upvotes are a new addition to MAPR and the thinking behind it is to change the "yield curve" so that modest delegations can see significant benefits - without ruining the earning algorithm!

If you look at the numbers at the top of the page, the difference between [6] and [5] is 1.6% APR, or about 7.5% of rewards going out as upvotes. Those are "non-earning" upvotes in the sense that they are part of our support to MAP members and delegators but they are not part of the earning algorithm. If I start to increase those, then the total earnings will drop - the extreme case is that all upvotes go to delegators and we get a tiny curation income.

Hence the separation between two accounts so that I can actually do more than with just one account.

However, you have made me think that there is also a logic that existing delegators may benefit from new delegators (a small amount) if those upvotes were from the same account - or in some way tied to it.

It's in the maths... somewhere!

One immediate consequence that does spring to mind is that the minimum SP would probably have to increase to avoid becoming a pure upvote-service.