replying here due to nesting:

, I'm talking about the one forming around how the majority of Steemians would like the flags to be used.

I don't think a majority of steemians have a problem with downvoting. maybe im wrong. I think most steemians were fine with downvoting content they thought was over-valued.

Even after they changed the downvote to a flag, people still continued to use it. The "makeup" post had like 20 flags, IIRC.

So they put progressively more severe warnings and restrictions on it (originally, there was no message. Then the message said "this could effect payout and visibility are you sure", now our current one)

Downvoting didnt stop until onceuponatime made that post threatening reprisals to anyone who who used their downvote. And it was referenced by nearly every author who regularly made trending at the time.

I don't know anything about your assertions regarding writers.I thought the downvote was changed to a flag in the hope that people would not engage for negative reasons. Is there any need to let someone know you don't like their post?

Personally, i prefer honest engagement. Positive, negative or middle-of-the-road. Im just throwing it out there, but maybe we can all interact and express out honest opinions (positive or negative) without the filter of what the UI deems to be inappropriate negativity.

VOting is about expressing how you think a post should be rewarded.

I think most steemians would agree that the disparity in post payout is a big problem. Downvoting over-rewarded posts is far and away the most effective way of addressing that disparity. Stigmatizing it by calling it a flag is counterproductive, IMO