When millions of users are here every day it's ludicrous anyway to think that earning STEEM is still a possibility.

Well somebody will have to be earning the STEEM that will be going into the reward pool. Organic upvotes will be harder and harder to get, but those who have other sources of upvotes like #steembasicincome units will still be earning author rewards, and with the move to 50/50, curation rewards will be able to yield a semi-steady STEEM income stream for those with skin in the game in the form of Steem Power.