We've talked about it before and I fully agree with all your points, especially with the easier barrier for entry. The scenario you pointed out with the newbie being disillusioned after making a long post and earning next to nothing is so accurate. I can attest to that because that was me before I went on a hiatus last year. Honestly, that's still me some times.
Posts should be judged on the quality, not on length or perceived effort. Even if it's a one-liner or a "simple" meme, one shouldn't assume the effort it took to make it. Some high quality one-liners beat shitposts and copypasta any day. The sooner people realize that, the better. This self-policing nature of the platform gives a lot of freedom, but it has drawbacks. Everything is subjective, so people need to fucking calm down and be more compassionate. Some victims aren't what they are portrayed and some perceived bullies are vilified for all the wrong reasons. If people want to treat this platform as the decentralized hub that it's set out to be, then they need to stop acting like sheep, step out for a second and look at the bigger picture.
I actually saw @traf mentioned in a comment earlier, and I'm glad to see you posting something about it. I'm fully behind you whether you're a whale or a plankton. You do great work and you consistently put out high quality stuff. If people just took the time to read, they'll know what I'm talking about. Your views and the interaction you get should be enough to back that up. Are the flags still in play? I don't think I saw any flags still there.
haha, thanks buddy
yeah it's all good