I really like this post; it made me think about an option I hadn't put much thought into before. And yet, I lean very heavily toward the arguments for full weighted flagging that include plagiarism, spam, scammers, and directed abuse/harassment of other users.
But on the other hand, I have seen several posts getting flagged for difference of opinion, and it wasn't just new users doing this. This, to me, is a critical failure of the system, and it may be worth sacrificing the entire flagging feature in order to avoid steemit becoming a stagnant hugbox like so many other places.
The big fish here do have a vested interest in making this place more valuable, but it seems that some think shaping steemit according to their dogma is more important than allowing unpopular opinions to propagate. There are no real mechanisms in place to stop one disagreeable big fish from swallowing minnows who happen to peacefully state their opinions or views, and time and time again that has proven to be a formula for stagnation or ruin on so many other blogging sites of past and present. Also important to note, this also means that people are using their weight to bring down content instead of uplift content they want to see, which I consider to be a net loss on the platform in general.
Perhaps a 4th option (that, for all I know, may have already been suggested elsewhere) could be some kind of proxy mute list feature that completely replaces the flagging system. Think of adblock for steemit, but users with services similar to steemcleaner could instead direct their focus towards muting plagiarists/scammers/spammers/abusers, and other individual users could enter their names to use as a proxy muting service if they agree that they're muting the right users. Perhaps they could offer an appeals process to get off the mute list, but however it works, as long as there are multiple options in users offering these services, and there is the ability to choose as many or as few mute lists as you want, I see this being the best course of action to a delicate situation.
Considering your experience on the platform, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this other option. I would also welcome others to chime in with their thoughts as well. If this doesn't make as much sense on paper as it does in my head, tell me why I'm wrong, or ask me to fill in any details I didn't include.
A stagnant hugbox?! LMFAO that's what I am saying. I'm not going to kiss anybody's ass no matter how much money they have.
did you say ass?
I don't kiss any ass, but I do try to pick my battles.
A lot of good ideas BUT what I'm really saying is none of these complex solutions are necessary if flagging is dumped.
The main reason it remains is because it allows whales to control the content.
As an example, lets say I took offense at your thoughtful and in depth comment because I feared it weakened my position.
All I have to do is flag your comment and nobody will look at it. Because I have a bigger wallet than you there is nothing you can do about it.
Nobody will look at your comment because they will assume you are just another spammer saying something like "nice flowol me and i bak you flowol" Dissenting view eliminated.
I always click reveal and read what's there. Also on other sites with a moderation system for the comments first thing I do is change the setting so I get to see all comments, even those with are down modded. But maybe that's just me.
It would be great if there was a reveal setting on Steemit (note for boffins)
Those examples of abuses of the flagging system are enough to make strongly consider getting rid of it. I'm just thinking that, at least within the current mindset on steemit, there may need to be some kind of compromise in order to achieve the dissolution of the flag feature. You say you've been lobbying for this change for 10 months now, and a decentralized mute list service that users sign up for voluntarily sounds like a very fair compromise, and could satisfy many of the concerns on all sides of the argument.
Previously the flagging was mostly whale revenge and control flagging, but this new trend is pure censorship using downvoting as it's main tool
Just try copying and pasting some b-grade porn and posting it like the whale at the top of this comments thread does all the time.
I suspect that unlike him, you would find yourself flagged very rapidly!
Flagging serves one major purpose - protecting the interests (maintaining the control) of whales