Hi Patrick,
I was thinking about this and although it does sound good initially and you do make gains, but the reason for people to join will be based on earning rewards and not making great content or curating posts and making constructive comments. Then eventually the system will be overrun by people who game the system or by bots like what you mentioned happened to TSU. :(
RE: ASK: How Do We Explain Steemit to "Lay People"? So that they join us ;)