I agree. For this place to stand a chance at longevity there has to be change.

Unfortunately, unless 'good' behaviour is incentivised, I can't see people changing behaviour that has immediate payoff. Like you say, big fish have the means to do this by rewarding those that play nice, but they seem few and far between. On the contrary, many seem to have their fins in big juicy bidbot pies. It seems like an act of martyrdom to struggle against it. My feeling is that there are smaller, more winnable battles to be had first.

Perhaps something should be tweaked at the next fork to make it easier for passive readers/watchers to join Steemit.