Forks ahead!
It appears that 13 of the current witnesses (the people who run Steemit) are running the new release candidate of Hard Fork 19. This is good news as it means were getting closer to mainstream adoption for the new hard fork. I personally estimate it will take place within the next 2-3 weeks - perhaps earlier.
So, what can we expect coming up in the new hard fork? [basically a Steemit software update if you haven't caught on already!]
#1. Voting power will not last as long as depletion occurs quicker
Put simply, after 10 power votes your voting power will start to deplete quicker, but it'll have 4x times the power it has right now. So if your vote is currently worth $0.06 it'll be worth $0.24 after the hard fork. Most people will scale back on their voting percentages by using the slide bar for adjustment.
This may also encourage people to sit in their own comments section all day long and just upvote for themselves at 100% for the first 10 votes. Time will tell??
#2. The reward algorithm is going to go linear
Put in simple terms this means whales are going to have less power, as their voting power is currently derived from their steem power on an exponential scale, so more SP meant more voting power. Switching to a linear model makes it all a more level playing field for everyone.
#3. The end of the whale flagging experiment
For months now there has been an experiment where whales have colluded to NOT downvote or flag other people's comments on their personal whims! But, this problem is still very much in existence with rebel whales. God bless them. Some of them still do a good job despite their rebellions! This process is known as flagging, and a solution to this flagging process is still ongoing ....
In conclusion
Be ready to steem on after the hard fork, as the Trending page may well see some changes for the better. The current jerk circle will slowly be eroded over time as a new middle class of steemian starts to emerge! BRAVO STEEMIT!! Steady as she goes. Steem on!