I think there is a solution and it's easy - get rid of flagging.
But the fact that the no flagging option is not even considered is suspicious.
Hell I just had a comment flagged today because it was more popular than a comment by a whale who flagged my comment and upvoted himself - flagging is all about dominance and censorship...
I agree. I think there should be a thumbs down, but that should have no effect other than the ability to say you disagree. Flagging should be reserved for trying to point out things that are illegal, and only things that are illegal.
That is exactly the solution .. Steem is really great, almost indestructable in its structure of protecting freedom of speech.. But the flagging is flawed in how powerfull it is in destroying accounts!
Look at my account! I was sabotaged for using the words islamists and islam ! I was not hating or lieing! The islamists just got together to downvote me! of course, all they could flag they did and I went from REP 35 to 7 !
Flagging could be there as an option to make a notice to everyone on a comment or post being bad in some way, like spammy f.x.
BUT .. it should not destroy reputation! not when reputation is something that is needed for operating your account..
Either, reputation should be inactive in operating your account (making posts, uploading fotos etcetera, buying resteeming services) and only be a reference number for information in that way.
Or: Flagging should not be able to negatively affect reputation score!
or: reputation score should just be eleminated totally, which it could be, it is not an essential part of a Blogging Network!
we can have a flagging system without a reputation system!
making it transparent for everyone if a post or comment is "undesireable" in any way by others and by whom!
but without that person actually being hindered in his further blogging from having recieved f.x. 50 downvotes / flags on his recent post!
Generally, as we can just comment our thoughts and feelings, we can use that to convey anything that we otherwise use the flagging to convey..
For instance just a comment where you write "Flagging this!" or a jpg or gif with a flag or thumbs down !
like this
Yeah - the people flagging you that I saw are just minnows and their downvotes are easily reversed. But often people have bigger connections in the background, so I choose my fights carefully, and do my best to keep out of this flag war bullshit - just ignore them and let it go is my best advice