I was thinking about the same thing. Just like people with advertisers know where their bread is buttered, it’s impossible to not become aware of what gets more zaps, as SN is currently designed.

Undisciplined

and therefore, I think that the answer to

I think that because it won't be structural enough to make a living. And if it were, I think that if there would be whales zapping real big on here then you'd see an incentive shift to write what the whales would appreciate and it would enshittify - like on X many people really care what senpai Elon thinks. It'd be a race to the bottom of pleasing the whales. I'm not sure that, unless there would be many whales, it would not degrade to a monotonous mess.

I do think that there is lots of space for growth and that with more users come more balance.

I think with no-trust november, the post quality incentive (that 1/4th of the rewards that went to top posts) has declined a bit. Also I read through the algo on zapping early vs zapping big the other day, and there is definitely a disincentive for zapping big if you're not early.

So maybe in the long term there is something that helps here - but don't ask me what because I suck at econ. After all, 

BooksAndArticles

How to align newsletter incentives with those who pay them - Hamilton Nolan

Scoresby

I'm with you on:

> I don't have much faith in V4V.

and therefore, I think that the answer to

> Is this a realistic hope?

is ***no***.

I think that because it won't be structural enough to make a living. And if it were, I think that if there would be whales zapping real big on here then you'd see an incentive shift to write what the whales would appreciate and it would enshittify - like on X many people really care what senpai Elon thinks. It'd be a race to the bottom of pleasing the whales. I'm not sure that, unless there would be many whales, it would not degrade to a monotonous mess.

I do think that there is lots of space for growth and that with more users come more balance.

> how do we incentivize good posts?

I think with no-trust november, the post quality incentive (that 1/4th of the rewards that went to top posts) has declined a bit. Also I read through the algo on zapping early vs zapping big the other day, and there is definitely a disincentive for zapping big if you're not early.

So maybe in the long term there is something that helps here - but don't ask me what because I suck at econ. After all, ["money is the mf moderator"](https://stacker.news/items/1429750/r/optimism?commentId=1430424)