I like your thinking, but I also like the fact that rewards are converted into hive power, as it encourages engagement in the ecosystem. Incentives are always either sticks or carrots, and this is a stick, but sometimes sticks are more effective.
Like all incentives there are always going to be some that find a way around it, so the @rewards.app tool you mentioned provides people with an opportunity to get around it. You might find, some curators actually don't upvote content that uses the @reward.app as its sign the author doesn't have a long term commitment to the ecosystem, I don't have a view on this either way, but recognise different opinions exist on this matter.
anyway, back to topic, I think because there are options around it, there is a choice already, but we live in a world of apathy, and for those that don't make an active choice, reinvesting into the ecosystem maybe makes more sense in the context that its a default choice only (i.e. authors have the option to use @rewards.app too)
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