you've given the trade offs more thought than I have. thanks for laying them out clearly here.

id push back by saying that money doesnt "curate" but provides the incentives. not saying this to split hairs, but just because it is always the users that do the work curating. this seems important to say because zaps help to determine the kind of content users will share, but its the user's decision ultimately.

also, i find this interesting, "that the content that generates most users usually does [earn money]" which i think is the case because for platforms to compete online, attractive content should be rewarded, to create a flywheel effect for more users to join in. these are business decisions beyond my paygrade.

as i wrote to denlillaapan, my critique comes from a place of wanting to see less of the gambling on what we think will get the most attention, and more meaningful interaction. it seems the reward system promotes the former.