RE: A simple, radical change to Steem that could fix most of our problems.
My original thought was there would simply be an account flag that users could set to a number between 0 and 10000 (since we like that number) for how much of their rewards to get in each system. Then there should be less computation because all of the pool payouts come with very complex computations already anyway, and the new ones would be much simpler.
I can see that the 100% cap might be harder to do though.
There is no regeneration operation, not even virtual, and the blockchain doesn't care until another vote is cast, saving on computation.
I'm not sure it saves computation so much as outsourcing it, since we're all looking at our live voting power all the time anyway. But I guess if the witnesses don't have to do it that's something. Still, it should be possible to set a 100% signal somehow even if we aren't doing it granularly.
Not sure how Voting Mana is going to change all that anyway.
That removes cost (a), but increases cost (b). I'll have to dig into the code but I think you're very much understating the burden this would have on nodes, their complex computations not withstanding. You're proposing additional account operations for every account that selects this (not proportional to the sliding scale, of course) or every account at 100%, every X time period. I would like to see an actual reckoning with this fact, or at least a good rebuttal if you think I'm wrong.
Saves computation for witnesses obviously. Not doing it on nodes is likely to increase total universe size work to do because lots of other computers are needlessly calculating it, but that's just being pedantic. When we talk of computational cost, we're of course talking about witnesses, that is a given.
I think I'm going to have to see Voting Mana in action before I can do that for the 100% idea. For the flag, I'll see what I can come up with. Nobody's going to implement this this week anyway.
For real. I'll stay tuned and contribute if I can, at least to thrash it out.