I am pretty much in agreement with all the other comments. The free downvotes that were implemented is good if they are used properly. Not out of vindictiveness or jealousy.
In the 3+ years I have been on HIVE, I have seen way too many flag wars among large stake-holders. It is childish. The excuse of He/She started it... is an excuse given by children.
My perception is some use it as a demonstration of their power. Is not the whole idea of blockchain to level the playing field?
The downvoting of plagiarism, vote-farming, and other unethical behavior is necessary to ensure the proper distribution of the rewards pool. Sadly, many large stake holders in the past have participated in this type of unethical behavior. Some have left, others are still here. I will not list them here as it is counterproductive.
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
Agree. These wars are one of the main reasons I left Steem three years ago. Too much politics. There definitely does need to be some way to police bad actors, but the cabals that developed and the vitriol involved in opposing opinions really turned me off. Especially since I was trying to get more than 3 cents for my posts and these guys were getting literally hundreds of dollars for spewing garbage.
There's no question that whales are necessary to the health and growth of this platform. But at the same time, at some point you would think enough has got to be enough. It's about giving back to the platform at that point. Not continuing to take because you can. That's literally where Steem is today...
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
true that. this is why i am grateful for 2nd layer tokens like leo for creating a unique opportunity for their community away from the hive shenanigans. the show of power is unbecoming. i once had an entire month of downvote after downvoting a whale that was shitposting. i have tried to stay away from the drama. my family depends on the income I make here and I am unwilling to put at risk over ideologies. it is a difficult position for me.
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta