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Comments are paid out or shown/hidden based on the Steem Power of the people who vote it up or down (i.e . "flag"). If someone has a lot of Steem Power (a lot of stake in the system) they have more say in who is valuable and what is not. If they make bad decisions which harm the entire network and the value of the token, then they are harming themselves. Unfortunately, some people don't think in these terms and do it anyway.

@lukestokes - how much SP do you have to have to have this much power?

Depends on the reputation of the poster, I think. I'm not entirely sure though as a flag is just a downvote and the downvote would have to counter other upvotes.

Sorry for the delay. I'll have to ask around about how much SP one has to have b/c my votes STILL seem to do dick shit for anyone. : (

Thanks