In the last 2 days the server funds reached a steady state over 300 BTC.
Time to increase the reward per share? I have a proposal:
* If after a solved block funds are over 250 BTC, reward increases 5% for the next block
* If after a solved block funds are below 100 BTC, reward decreases 5% for the next block
It's a way to smoothly impact the luck of the pool onto the miners.
300BTC is not really that big of a buffer. It will be easily depleted within a few very unlucky rounds at current hash rate.
If it grows large enough (say 1000+ or whatever LukeJR is comfortable with), some of it could be redistributed back to users.
This has a problem though, it will encourage pool hoppers to jump on Eligius during good luck streaks (because they know the next few blocks will distribute extra earnings),
unless the extra buffer is only distributed to people who have consistently submitted shares to the pool in the last week etc.
Also, according to Meni Rosenfeld's theory, the risk/probability of catastrophic failure in SMPPS payment schemes reaches 1 (or 100%) given an indefinite amount of time. Which means the pool would revert to proportional, and nobody wants that.