It is not one person taking from the reward pool. It is a group of people giving to that person a reward.

Nope, it's the first: that's how the reward pool works. The second is more of a tipping system or a patreon style system, but that's not steem. There's a limited reward pool supply, so if you take from it (and you are taking from it if you didn't choose to decline rewards), then you have reduced the reward from everyone else who is also electing to take from the reward pool.

Reading your post I got the feel that if it is published or posted anywhere, ie:Internet, newspaper, video, magazine, or newspaper or anywhere else that stuff gets "Published", it would not be allowed to receive a vote for a Reward on Steemit.

That's not what I'm saying. I'm more concerned with the value given under the assumption that it is written for Steemit. If you read my post I address this when I talk about crossposting. It's fine as long as the voter or purchaser is making an informed decision.