Ok, so you disagree with my statement that non-linear is not unfair and instead find the existing solution unfair.

Also you do not mind very few dominating consensus in the reward distribution. But the fact that it is easy to get free or cheap rewards is something you do dislike.

> Freeloaders freeload at the expense of everyone

The main problem with your argument is that this statement is false. Self-voters gain rewards from their own stake and a nice bonus from people who hold Steem without upvoting with it, which those people would lose in any case. They don't take rewards from anyone else.

You see them with a "high relative ROI" but that's because you're only valuing a single output from the non-self-voters. If you value both outputs - the personal return and the extrinsic value of the outgoing vote - the non-self-vote's ROI is substantially higher. Of course since it's a personal subjective value it's harder to count, but it exists.

This is demonstrated by the fact that people voluntarily cast them. We're not all stupid; we simply value the socio-cultural and interpersonal reward portion of our outgoing vote more than the financial value of casting it on ourselves.

This is also why 50/50 curation reduces the value of voluntarily-cast votes.