Any device that judges between spam, trolling, and unpopular opinion is going to be managed by a human's subjective thinking. For the most part , that hasn't abused to the point I have been afraid it could be.
Yes, this is a risk. It's also the only choice we have at the moment. :)
The next biggest case I have seen was that of @knrel; again, he made it a point to call out that behavior, but he did it in a reasoned manner. His decision to quit writing as much for the platform after the fallout should be considered one of our biggest losses.
Yeah @krnel was telling me to POINT out names when I was challenging them before him. That was not my goal. He and I had different approaches, but I also wrote posts against some of the same people he did. I actually changed some minds, but not the minds of those @krnel ended up going after.
It highlighted the problem to those that were not already aware, but ultimately all it did was result in @krnel leaving. I don't necessarily consider that a WIN. It seems like a LOSS to me. Which you seem to have indicated as well.
That is going to require Steemers with both persuasive and courtesy skills. It's going to take Steemers who aren't afraid of bucking whales and/or the community at large. It's going to take Steemers with knowledge of the platform beyond the DEU point.
I've done so. It can be done without resorting to name calling, belittling, etc. Those things don't typically turn out too well. They tend to be more for the sake of the audience rather than changing the minds of the target. Yet it is the people that are performing these actions and have so much power they are difficult to counter that must have their minds changed if possible. I don't believe you will change their mind by name calling, belittling, and attempting to shame them. That is simply a path to escalation. You also cannot expect their minds to change instantly. If you are reasonable and what you say seems to make sense then perhaps over time it will change them as well. They need time to think on it. The ideas need to take root and grow.
That is my approach. I realize people do things differently, and people respond to things differently. I no longer expect instantaneous change and capitulation. I consider it a mental war of attrition fought with civility and reason.
Because it is going to take respectful, knowledgeable persuasion to change the mindset of what should be flagged. people, whether wale or minnow, usually don't change their minds.
Difficult things can often provide the best rewards.