Curie is a blip on the radar when it happens to anyone. The only hope is for whatever magic raises the price to do so again at a sustainable rate so that the pool expands in value, where it can't in quantity. I think Steemit is that proof of concept company that builds a new technology, but refuses to acknowledge that its own model isn't built to spec and eventually makes room for the platform that makes this work.
As to there not being any mention of quality, read the blue paper. There's never been anything but. I agree, the natural outcome of linear rewards AND delegations was the current state of affairs, but we're the suckers who keep sending our money to the top of the food chain, just like in the analog world, we build the 1% then we complain about them having all the power.