Unfortunately because of a few unethical Steemit members like the following, Steemit's days as a viable forum are quickly coming to an end, because it has essentially turned into nothing more than a cesspool of fraud and corruption, controlled by childish members, porn promoters, and other such low-life human beings. (Official complaints have been filed...see below)

 @themarkymark (AKA @buildawhale)  -  77.6
 @bullionstackers  -  71.9
 @buildawhale (AKA @themarkymark)  -  74.9
 @quarantine (AKA @the-reef / AKA @block-power)  -  61.2
 @bookguy  -  61.0
 @mack-bot  -  58.8
 @the-reef (AKA @block-power / AKA @quarantine) -  54.9
 @block-power (AKA @the-reef / AKA @quarantine)  -  25.0
 @blockcreate  -  25.0
 @steemcleaner  -  1.07

 and others.

 The Facts: If any of the above members do not like one of more of your posts, comments or replies for any reason, they will not only down-vote that post or comment, but will then go back and down-vote many, if not all of your previous posts and comments (plus any you post in the future), thus reducing your reputation rating to near nothing. A scumbag is a scumbag, but the real problem lies with the idiots who run and control Steemit. Only a bunch of total morons would ever set up a voting system as it now is designed. The main problem is that a higher reputation member can always down-vote a lower-reputation member, which will have a significant impact on the lower-reputation member's rating. The reverse however does not hold. A lower-reputation member can indeed down-vote a higher-reputation member, but unlike the reverse, the lower-reputation member's down-vote has no impact on the reputation of the high-reputation member. It's like it never happened.   

 In any event, whoever devised such a system, unfortunately has more than a few marbles missing. But quite frankly, who cares? I am now in the process of powering down my steem (10 weeks to go) so that I can exit this cesspool as so many thousands have done before me. So if the Steemit's management really wanted to create a cesspool of such scumbags, a real haven for porn lovers and other such low-lifes, congratulations! They accomplished that! Steemit will not survive much longer! Of that fact, I am quite certain!     

 To all the scumbags here on Steemit: Go ahead, and bring on the down-votes, and perhaps it may help you feel good for a while, but in the long run, it will not fill your otherwise pathetic empty lives.

 To all other Steemit Members: I'm sure you have come to realize some of these things, as well as the fact that steem payouts are nowhere remotely close to what they are claimed to be. Only those at the very top of the pyramid get the bulk of the payouts, while the rest of us (the vast majority of us), get virtually nothing.

 Please also note that you would be wise to withdraw all your steem from Steemit asap. Official complaints have been filed with the following Government Organizations seeking the shutdown of Steemit:   

 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/?utm_source=takeaction#crnt&panel1-1   
 
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx   

  The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber   

  The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
https://www.sec.gov/divisions/enforce/claims.htm   

  Meanwhile, the best thing you can do to help the Steemit platform, and give it a chance of survival, and if you have a higher-reputation, is to down-vote the above members so if not to get them off of Steemit, at least take away their abusive down-voting power.