The problem is the payout system...PPLNS is far too risky for any serious pro-miner...regardless of size.
There is a very good reason why BTC is by far the largest pool in the world...
One must acknowledge that their PPS payment plays a significant role in that success.
PPLNS has become ridiculously unfair. ramp up heavily favours large miners and severely punishes small ones.
It will continue to become even more unfair and riskier as the diff rises.
PPLNS is also VERY punitive to miners who cannot risk allocating there hash rate full time and mine intermittently to help reduce Variance.
I tried to support this pool many times for many months only to incur a HUGE loss in revenue.
I suggest considering changing the pools payout system to a proportional payout system.
In 5 years there will only be ONE pool..if bigger was not better there would not be any pools.
Not mining here anymore and almost at the end of my ramping down in my mining adventure in this pool (with very negative economical balance, BTW). But I think and I share my thinking:
Wouldn't be wonderful that the pool would let you choose the reward system? At least PPS or PPLNS (maybe other exotic ones also just for fun). Sure some will feel more confortable choosing their own paying method according with the commitment to the pool or their mining strategy.
This would help me, when the Hashrate issue with the pool has been resolved, to consider to start mining here again for a while... and maybe, who knows , is not just me the only one thinking like this... Just speculating, I am very speculative guy...