Nobody wants to be Steembabwe.
This said, I'm going to advocate an approach somewhat in between what @fyrstikken (on one extreme) and @smooth / "status quo + tweaks" (on the other-- also I recognize there are some changes you want to make @smooth).
@fyrstikken, I think that your proposal is a little too fast.
@smooth, I think that larger changes are needed.
I've always, always been in favor of changing payments to reflect actual traffic. It's simply an excellent idea top to bottom. Adwords? Why not! They're everywhere else, and people could stop asking where the money comes from.
@fyrstikken, you've validated all of your plans with investors? (eg: if we made those changes, they'd want in? Are any of them willing to talk with us when you have your community meeting?)