Add payout sliders
One for Reward and one for the Split part
Let the publisher decide
Recently there have been a lot of publications about HardFork 21 {#HF21}. Where the most heated discussions seem to be about the 'fifty-fifty' deal. Apparently it has been decided by a certain (powerful) group that the payout split will change from 75-25 to 50-50%. Reasoning that raising the payout part for a 100% for those who up-vote content, as they appreciate it, will attract more people to join the virtual Steem realm. To make this possible the actual creators of all the published work need to accept a cut of 33%. According to some, in favor of this change, Steem is merely to be seen as a business place. Way back I did compare Steem to a kind of stake-holders company myself. But now I see it as just a possible part of the whole realm. It is a virtual digital world, where even 'monsters' wander about. Or where artists share all their creations. And fellow human beings from parts of the world where people have a hard time to even survive another day, can earn some extra income to make it through another day. Or they might be able to finance their medical needs. Some might finance the education for their offspring so they are able do so and stay out off (bankers) debt. While many just enjoy the Freedom Of Expression. You see how I eventually did broaden my view on Steem from being 'just' a business system to an almost unlimited digital virtual realm on a blockchain...?
That does not mean that business can not be a part of it, neither does it mean that it is only business, nor should the business part be dictating what Steem was, is and can be. Steem was, is and can be so much more, it is a huge digital virtual realm with all kinds of paradise birds, who are all equivalent and unique. Some things need to change though, as it seems some (apparently) business focused account holders began to put pressure on Steemians that have their own reason to be part of the realm. As seen from my point of view they are mostly focused on getting a Return On Investment {ROI}. Now it is okay that they want that and I know some Steemians who I really wish for their investment to work out for them. And investors know that the higher the expected (speculated) Return On Investment {ROI} the higher the risk taken. That is why most investment portfolios contain several kinds of products. Not my kind of trade, but I know some people who really thrive on their investment strategies. Where my respect for some of the investors ends though is when they start to put other people under pressure, as if they should not be allowed to Power Down. Or to do to what ever they want to do with their OWN Steem, in whatever form or amount that is. It is nobody their 'business', so to state, to butt into other Steemians their way of handling their Steem wealth in the digital virtual Steem realm. Yet it can be in everybody their interest to have Steem being a currency used within the Steemian realm and beyond. That would surely give some value to Steem, as a Token. Maybe that could be the common ground to start from again. Steem is a digital virtual realm, where a lot is possible, holding a lot of future potential, that has its own Token, to be used within and beyond.
Instead of enforcing values, offer free choice
Now that was quite the intro, but I think it is important to make it clear that I did actually put some time, energy and effort in this. Like I stated before, it is easy to criticize, but to offer a different take can be quite a challenge. So, I oppose the 50-50 payout split and I even at first I stated it should be 98-2. And that evolved into: the slider. You know just like with every up-vote (backed by at least 500 Steem Power {SP}) one can choose with a slider how much percentage the vote will have, from 1 to a 100%. With HF21 it is just decided for every Steemian that is gets changed from 75-25 to 50-50%, for whatever reason this (apparent) business group has, that might be work as stated, or it could do even more damage for the whole realm. So far it even looks the Crypto currency market is not really in favor. And I am not to happy about the mainly dictated changes, that a small (but powerful) group wants to enforce with HardFork 21. That could make Steem a business only controlled blockchain. And that would change Steem into a speculative Token. Bad for the digital virtual realm that Steem actually is. So, how to find a kind of midway golden balance in this? Keep publishers doing their creative thing, let those with low finances earn a bit, let those who want to Power Down be and let business do their thing?
Just add free choice, it is that simple, add a slider to the payout split part. Let the one who wants to interact with the Steem blockchain decide. Just like Steemians can go for a declined payout. Or how much they want to Power Down. And who are to be beneficiaries and for what percentage. Just add another slider, make it range from 1 to 100%, where the publisher decides up front. To some that might also be a way to compete, as they can offer their followers a bigger cut. That might be a business strategy to some Steemians. While others might go for a 98-2* split and stimulate their following to interact with them, where the replies inherit the 98-2 setting. So it pays for them to interact, where the others might even set it like 1-99%. Where merely automated up-voters are maybe more drawn in, yet less interaction might take place. Somewhere a dynamic system will move to the surface, where all Steemians have a free choice in how they want to be active in the digital virtual Steem realm. Maybe then it will be even easier to let every account be whatever it wants to be. To have the Freedom Of Expression joy, to do business and to have fun in this realm. No need to attack people for what they want to do with their OWN Steem fortune, being it small/medium/large or huge. Just being on Steem, the way we all are, equivalent and unique.
Thank you for reading and I hope I was able to make some sense, at least.
PS For the reward payout I would also like to see a slider. In the range from 0% Steem Power to a 100% SP. This might even considered to be more controversial than the payout split slider suggestion. There will be a threshold though, as all Steem accounts will need to be backed by some of its own Steem Power. Because otherwise the interaction with the Steem blockchain depends on temporarily delegated SP. Therefore a threshold is needed, I think, where every account at least needs enough SP to be able to interact with the Steem blockchain substantively. (As the Steem Power amount is connected to the amount of Resource Credits {RC} that can be used.)
New 'free' Steem accounts only should need to hold delegated SP for as short time, as this could put a brake on the new account growth. Setting the threshold for new 'free' accounts, making all their payouts 100% SP at first (until threshold reached), could have some advantages. Although I can understand that some may fear that only a few will decide to Power Up, or maybe less, there is still the interest on holding SP. That might be tempting, or maybe it can be raised some more. There is still a lot that can be done to give more freedom of choice to every Steemian.
Edit: Some text changes and a PS