Great post. Thanks for putting forth some ideas. I totally agree with you on the problem. I'm a little skeptical that the referral program you suggest my just further concentrate the wealth in the 1%. A lot of the whales have other media presences outside Steemit that likely contribute to their success on Steemit already, and the referral system may just further reward them, but I suspect there's a way to do it right.

Thanks again!