Basically it is coming down to a pay for play situation?
I have noticed that there is a large number of community members who are moving over from previously held positions on different platforms, sites and forums, which would lead one to believe that they would have an advantage over the "average Joe" in terms of viability or even the perception of entering a level playing field.
This does not include the financial investment where the differences between willingness and ability play a determining factor. I have a feeling this would deter others from venturing into this uncharted area based on these facts alone. In my humble option.
It is already a pay to play situation, there is a fee, which is paid by Steemit. The financial "investment" would be around $5.
Don't you agree that the potential to get a "sponsored" member rises in direct proportion to the fees that are associated with membership? There are safe guards in place now that prevent spamming, but what about a direct influence who has a staff of content writers, photographers along with audio/visual members? Companies are scrambling now for adverting outlets as traditional media (tv, radio, print ads) is a relic of times of yesteryear that are discussed in history books. If they have an outlet that comes in under their advertising budget and gives them an ROI based on market fluctuation on top of that, why wouldn't they look at it as a WIN/WIN situation for them? And how does that affect the spirit of what this community was built upon?