I've only been here a week, but I have noticed exactly the same problems. And I've seen what you're predicting play out on other sites that were similar to this, where authors were rewarded for content. I cannot tell you how quickly things can go sour and how quality content creators will abandon a platform at the drop of a hat once they recognize the game. Yes - right now, this platform is turning into a game for everyone...minnows to whales.
>"Because of (C) there is a growing subculture in the Steemit Forums and Chat of Vote Swapping, Begging for Votes and so forth. Which sadly still leaves most posts not getting paid anything or very little....even the ones that are Quality Original Content and deserve to be rewarded."
This is indeed a sad situation. I have even engaged in the chats for hours to try to drive some people to my posts with very little luck. I spent several hours writing original content accompanied by original photos for a two-part story. After almost a full day of trying to get *any* attention for them - because I believe that they *are* good quality - I ended up with about $0.50 for two posts. There were whales in the chats - but I couldn't even get a response there, let alone on either post. I even asked for just feedback, screw the votes...still nothing.
When good writers are begging to be seen and posts that are just a collection of commercial-use photos with a few sparse words thrown in are getting $1000+ each, there's something wrong with the voting - or more accurately, with the "whale" voting. Good writers shouldn't have to repeatedly beg to be seen, especially when whales are there and are ignoring them.
>"As more and more whales get fatter and richer the minnows that are here are going to continue to grow disheartened and eventually leave."
They already do leave. It's just not noticed because of how many more people sign up...and will inevitably follow suit. Active users were around 6,000 for the past week. How many user accounts are there? Over 60,000? People are signing up and either doing nothing or have already left. If the whales/bots keep skewing the trending content and ignoring actual quality *original* content, and those quality contributors continue having to beg for attention, this site is going to be left with Buzzfeed-type clickbait with no substance and various "celebrity" cliques, who will eventually abandon the platform anyway once the rewards dry up.
As a famous little presidential candidate once said (and this is paraphrased) - you'll just hear a giant sucking sound. That'll be everyone leaving who once cared about this platform's success but were drowned out by people only concerned with playing the rewards game for quick cash.
The whales have the largest share of responsibility for ensuring long-term viability of the platform and curating quality content, but from where I'm sitting, they're not currently living up to it. There are dolphins trying to help, but they seem to be getting continually undermined by the voting habits of the whales. The large power-downs might help, but it may not happen soon enough, especially while the whales still participate in their feedback loop of upvoting schemes (including their own posts/comments).