Thank you for sharing the progression of your thesis @fingersik!

This topic of information overload is something we discuss pretty frequently. To build upon / comment on a number of your points - it feels as if there has been a non-stop firehose of content that is precipitating across the web today. It's almost like the internet is going through puberty. All of these web-signals are firing constantly and it's practically impossible to find a niche of the web that offers some peace of mind. The social networks have (thus far) been a reflection of that firehose. That has resulted in the tabloid-ing of newsfeeds. Everything has to be catchy enough to grab someone's click...

Blockchain though is certainly offering a new kind of information modeling. We've seen this within the microcosm of Steemit. And with "communities" and SMTs we'll see this new hierarchy put to the test. The web is maturing. Hopefully soon - the Steem ecosystem can serve as a healthier model for reputable content being disseminated across the internet and into niches of networks who can digest it in moderation.