Okay. I would like to say that I liked your article and as a guy from the bottom of the site I feel the pain with good post which no one apreciate. Related to your question, I would like to say that I don't consider that if would be better content here the popularity goes up. I've read about steemit somewhere on a world forgotten site and it was described as "post your shit and earn some money if you are lucky"... Well I think this is the way paint eater see it and I think they are majority of the site. So only if they disappear the content will be better, because automatically the horror shit will be gone. Some thing as the natural selection, but then will be a select site.
In conclusion I think site will grow viewing forum quality only if the paint eaters are gone, and the popularity goes up, thx to paint eaters.
I hope I was clear.