I’ve expressed my discontent about downvotes in a room full of people who should have cared only to receive comments back to this effect: “Where did the whale touch you?” because, I guess in their world, getting molested is “funny” or getting robbed is. These folks who get their jollies off on being the reward poolice of the platform will sink the value of their stake by driving off original content creators that try to find their audience with the use of bid bot services. I’ll feel just as sympathetic towards them when they lose their entire investment as they did towards me when I railed against the ridiculous nature of downvoting.

I’ve learned that content publishing is down by about 30% since the last hard fork, the atmosphere is getting thin on this platform, and if they don’t do a course correction before the next BTC surge, people will bolt for the exit as that occurs. I like your alternative solutions; they make a lot more sense than trying to coerce people into unnatural behavioral traits. I can only imagine that these types of downvote heroes are the ones who put bricks through the windows of SUVs “because the environment” all while they tune into the speeches of international jet setters whose carbon footprint dwarf’s that of their entire family line.

The blockchain has reached the popularity level of Audi’s green police. They got two options: Live and let live, by allowing capitalists to take from the pool what their stake allows them too. Or chase them off and learn the hard way that bad news travels twice as fast as good news. The effect of the latter is that less capital will venture in this general direction. Why invest in steem, when you can invest in bitcoin or any other crypto headache-free?

With solutions like the three you suggested, it would give people a reason to invest, while the commie downvote hero mentality will be the death knell of the platform. I mean it won’t “die-die” but stick around and fester like black mold. Fewer rewards plus more downvotes are horrible for not only the morale of the platform but also the content creators too. However, it makes some people feel empowered. (ツ)_/¯

Normal market activity: Upvote with your dollar/SP.
Normal market activity: Stop upvoting with your dollar/SP.
Abnormal (aberrant) activity: Intentionally causing harm.