Thanks, a very eloquent description...
I agree that the utility and use case for Steemit is novel and currently unique. Unfortunately Human Nature will sink as low as the current design allow.
After 3 months I get no sense that Steem.io is serious about moving the platform forward at a pace that will close the gap with competitors like Medium.com
While engaging the community for development priorities is good, there's a distinct lack of overall and long term vision. It feels like the road map is meandering along aimlessly.