The problem of such a system. From my vague point of view and from my ignorance.
We would all have to start mining; and that reduces the number of Steemit users.
For a minimum of users, those with technological knowledge? And that they should also feel the project as their own, to see how they get involved in it.
It would not be much simpler. Simplify everything to the fullest, try to win users in bulk. Clean the visual face of the platform. Insert ads and pay witnesses with your money for honest maintenance. If necessary.
Talk to witnesses and promote changing the way you donate the Steem Power. Support more new users and fight because they become continuous time users.
It offers a platform with better content for them.
You have to try something new ... And although there are still 100 voices of witnesses who defend their small interests.
It seems that it is impossible for the platform to float again.
Not to mention the visual damage and marketing that all that does. The feeling of a flimsy project is transmitted, for every pore of Steemit. For each witness that opens a new "spectator" or "fork" (steam peak, busy, etc., etc., etc.)
I have been in Steemit for two years.
They have been making changes almost compulsively all this time, I don't see the improvement anywhere.
Maybe. It is time to look for an alternative path, or not..
Both:
Why not make it optional? Isn't that how Bitchute works? Same thing with Dtube where you don't have to do IPFS to watch videos on Dtube. But you can if you want.
Optional
It would be like an add-on option. I would make the seeding, the mining, etc, optional, so that it doesn't change anything about what people have to do on Steem, on Steemit, on Busy, etc.
Bitcoin, Bit Torrent
Thousands of people around the world use Bitcoin, Bit Torrent, Bitchute, IPFS, seeding, mining, etc. So, some people would do it for Steem. So, make it optional like Bitchute.
Bitchute
You don't have to do it on Bitchute but I think they have it on Bitchute. In other words, we can still keep it simple like you said.
User Interface
Yes, clean the face of the platform, the user interface (UI), of the apps of Steem, would be a very good idea, that is to keep it minimal, as in simple. Yeah, to newbies, forks are confusing.
Firefox
Firefox is always making changes as well. Technically, Microsoft operating systems (OS) are always making changes and that is why you click to update your computer ever week or two. I use Ubuntu.
Delegation
So, you mentioned donating. Delegation in SP to witnesses can help. Yes, you can donate through delegating SP to witnesses and that is a good thing to do.
Dtube, do you have seven active people doing that job today? It doesn't seem to have much appeal.
Dchute No one I know knows that website. It doesn't seem to have much appeal.
Bittorrent. The Young people barely know what it is ..
But yes. Are the ideas perfectly valid in cases of talking about a platform of little recognition or diffusion?
But for a really powerful project, with the need to mainly generate traffic.
That method would support millions of visits ..? Let's be realistic a platform based on content. The first thing to look for is to generate traffic, a lot of traffic. Infinite..
Decentralization helps support millions of visits and much more.