I just realized that @nathansenn is right.. the max_payout route won't work, at least as it is now:
Users would be able to post to our Community & DAPP from 3rd party front-ends like Hive.Blog and @peakd with those Posts (Buzz's) being exempted from the max_payout code that we hardcode into our DAPP.
Users would then be incentivised to post to our DAPP from 3rd party front-ends and our real users would be punished by being restricted by in-house rules that are not applied to Buzz's posted from 3rd party front-ends.
We are being told to fall in line with a political system when a fix at the blockchain level would fix this once and for all.. with the max_payout code as it is now, the solution mentioned by @holger08 would NOT work.
Hopefully the Community and stakeholders will come together to solve this once and for all, so that other DAPPs like ours can start building on $HIVE.