It is a function of Steem itself. It's not possible to circumvent it, unless they change Steem itself.
But hey, really, do your own homework.
@sneak didn't downvote you, @thoughts-in-time, because he is crazy or malicious, he has downvoted you because your posts are completely uninformed. Personally, I think he is right.
Since you like analogies, think of the school system. If you talk complete nonsense about a subject you are taking (and by participating in Steem and thinking that you are writing critically about it, you certainly are), some students will find it funny and laugh and even cheer (the upvotes) and people who are actually busy developing the subject further (say, research professors) will most likely fail you (flag you) for wasting their and your own time.
I wouldn't even call what you write criticism because it's just completely uninformed.
The dithering and hiding of posts is not part of Steem. It's something that Steemit added, like you said before; one need only visit Busy.org and see their UI to prove that is true.
As far as the downvote itself: I bet you even though it's a part of Steem, that Steemit could exclude, or restrict access to the option from their interface entirely.
Think about it from a designers perspective. It is certainly not impossible.
I say if people really want to downvote, let them do it from a different UI. Then this platform could be a unique app on the blockchain, they could be a bastion of free speech.
yes, but you didn't know about Busy.org before me and several others told you about it.
Which proves my point. I can also downvote you from Busy.org if you want me to. It's even easier there, with the downvote button right next to the upvote, where I don't have to scroll all the way up ;)
Are you a developer? You are only voting for two witnesses by the way. At least one of them is often involved in plagiarizing other people's work for profit, and no technical expertise.
So, once again:
Did you do your homework?
edit:
There, I am editing this comment through Busy.org, and downvoting yours just to try it out :D
Doesn't collapse your comment on Busy.org XD
So there still free speech!
Actually, since Steem allows so many interfaces, and Steemit actually wants competition and helps it, you cannot say that they are impeding free speech.
That's exactly what I just said. The soft-censorship is not part of the Steem blockchain. It is part of the Steemit UI. That's what I've been fighting against.
You basically just proved my point. I think it's intellectually dishonest of the Steemit devs to extol the virtue of the uncensored nature of the Steem blockchain, when talking about Steemit.com because people, especially new people tend to conflate the two.
It’s deceptive, but clever marketing. Don’t believe your lying eyes, or fall into the hypnotists web of lies.
Listen carefully to the words, a statement is made, the room goes silent, eyes get shifty, everyone's holding their breath, wearing their best poker face, hoping not to be challenged, hoping they don't crack a smile.
Then a joke is made, giving them all permission to have that laugh after all. The humorous part of it was the guy that said there are no gatekeepers on the Steem blockchain, regularly acts as a gate keeper on the Steemit UI.
So many people think that Steemit.com is a bastion of free speech, because they sold it that way. Yet when you have these kinds of shenanigans playing out right in front of our eyes, and most of us are unable to see it, it just speaks allot to our collective gullibility.
To be clear, I am not talking about gate-keeping (or soft-censorship) on Steem. I am specifically, and only talking about post hiding and dithering, and comment collapsing and dithering on the Steemit UI.
They could do way with it if they wanted, they could probably even block access to the flagging tool. I would suggest that those kinds of radical actions for the greater good, would significantly change things for the better on Steemit.
I know, I know, you ain't trying hear it. So lets let it be, we can both agree to disagree.
Why do you care so much?
Just use Busy.
I use Busy, but I do like the collapsed flagged posts on Steemit, because I always click on them to see why they were flagged.
I wouldn’t even notice your post, if it wasn’t flagged in the first place 😅
I think it’s brilliant!
The way Steemit was being publicized it created the perception that their interface did not engage in any type of censorship. I think allot of people got that impression, which is what caused them to join. To me, that is unfortunate because it makes it seem as if though their very foundation is a lie.
However, they could easily become that product that they sold to everyone with a couple simple changes. I think if they got rid of flagging and post hiding in the Steemit interface it would make the Steemit community better.
People could still flag from other platforms, and then Steemit could have some kind of icon that draws attention to the post, indicating that it was flagged. That way, people can still choose to counter it, while simultaneously not being encouraged to engage in that type of activity. It could still be a win-win, without losing the benefit of people noticing flagged content.
Steemit probably has the largest userbase, so although I could simply go to Busy and I wouldn't see the flagging that occurs on Steemit, that would be like ignoring the problem. Out of sight, out of mind type of thing.
I think if we are to fix the problem or try to fix the problem, we first need to make people aware of it. The reason I care so much about it is because free speech on the internet is getting attacked big time in America lately. If people don't rail against it immediately, it will simply become normalized, and or acceptable.
I know that Steemit currently has no obligation to provide 'free speech', this type of thing wouldn't happen unless and until they became big enough to be perceived as a public utility of sorts, and I don't know enough about that legal theory at this point, to speak intelligently on the matter.
However, if they are going to continue to sell themselves as being a bastion of free speech, cleverly conflating the blockchain with their UI, then I think they have the moral obligation to try and become the product that they are selling, or they'll end up running the risk of becoming severely unpopular.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions on the matter @fukako!
We just see it from completely different angles.
What you call censorship, for me is highlighting of potentially interesting posts, that I would click to reveal. It’s almost like clickbait of sorts.
So I don’t want it changed.
I hear you @fukako, thanks again for sharing your opinion, and for the good debate!