Hello @valued-customer, it’s good to hear from you. I agree with your sentiments here, I really do and reading your comment is a slap in the face(in a good way) to remind me of the real world consequences of speaking out. Nonetheless I have to disagree when putting your ethos against a platform like hive. Now, I’m going to choose my words carefully as I respect you.
IMO what you’re saying is that we should simply ignore what @smooth and others like him are doing and carry on regardless or even wear his flag as a badge. Now that is all good and well for an established account with a following because your message is your weapon and no flag can take that away. But what for those just starting out? And what for those looking in from the outside? If I’d have seen this behaviour on day one of my hive/steem journey I’d have looked elsewhere and branded hive just another controlled platform no different to Facebook. What’s happening here is nothing less than a Twitter shadow ban or a YouTube 3rd strike and if we stand for free speech shouldn’t this be something to speak out against rather than ignored? The whole point of hive is to incentivise users to add content without fear of being muted and now we see exactly the opposite happening. That’s not right.
At the end of the day we have come here for an adult conversation and what’s happening when it comes to downvotes is anything but. Yes, downvotes have a purpose but that purpose has been abused so maybe we need to pushback against it. If we don’t, we might just be left here holding our balls with nobody left to see how big they are...
Haha! I think I just enjoy an argument but I guess that’s kind of the same beast. Nonetheless, Thanks for the beats 😎👊
If I dug into my long catalog of comments I would certainly find similar concerns regarding new accounts. I absolutely agree.
However, I cannot recommend nor undertake to control the stake of another. All I control is what is mine, and that is what I recommend. If all the choices you can make are either to ignore flags or wear them like badges, then make your choice. Like all else in life, Hive is not fair. What we do when abused is our measure.
I have chosen to post and comment as I reckon true and useful, and it is my expectation that a day will come when none will be cruel, ignorant, or liars. I do not expect that day to come to Hive, or before my death.
Even so, I live and breathe as if it has come, as I am able. Such regrets as I have are caution against acquiring more by speaking ill, and it is enough to manage my own exertions. I have no business commanding others how to undertake theirs.
I hope flags and insults are too little to dislodge you, and others from whose words I gain, from Hive.
Thanks!