"...low user engagement may be a factor in user retention."
It is obviously a factor. The whales caused user engagement to reduce by reducing the value of upvotes on comments. What was that, HF 25? Then HF 28 expended VP more quickly, reducing the number of votes users can cast before depleting their VP.
They did this on purpose, to profit themselves. Now we're like China after the 1 child per couple law, with crashing demographics. The whales have no one to blame but themselves.
Thanks!