You are perfectly right with your post @timcliff.
I can make myself as an example, when i first joined this steemit platform, i never knew any thing about this spamming of a thing so i was been flagged on several occasion till when my reputation goes down and not until a guy explain all to me.

So i would like to make some contribution also that people does not read the introduction write by the steemit platform when starting as that is my case.
Also like you said that there is a small chance of earning rewards, so if there is any way the reward system can be increased like you said, it may help in bringing down the rate of spaming in the blockchain.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful write up with us