I agree, it's pretty annoying that if the thread gets to deep then links don't work and you have to go to a separate page to view the comments, they should fix that.
I'm not sure why you're confused, I thought I was clear. My argument is not that you don't have the right to feel something, that absurd.
I simply wanted to back him up on his choice to use flags. I didn't want him to be mislead into thinking that it's not the way things are done here. Sure, many people don't like it, but you know why that is? Because new people keep coming here and "old hands" keep telling them not to use them, that there's a culture of using them with massive restraint, but there need not be.
I'm not playing devils advocate. My position is (1) use flags if you want and (2) be wary of people who tell you what to do. You do not represent a flag consensus.
Finally I'm willing to concede that my interpretation of the follow sentence as a threat may not have been the intention of the author.
If I were to have taken offense at you, my single downvote is powerful enough to bring your reputation down to zero or less.
It's hard to tell without human speech. But if I'm wrong it was a very poor choice of words because that interpretation, coupled with the other heavy handed speech (from you too, asking for flags to be removed, etc.) constitutes browbeating. Just because you couch it in more or less polite tones does not mask it.
Interpret it as you will.
I don't know how she could have more carefully expressed her point, which is quite true.
I suppose I can understand your getting his back, and I admire that of you, BTW, as you felt he was being browbeaten and threatened.
I think he ignored the voluminous evidence they provided - he simply brushed it aside - and used flags, which no one did to him. My own interjection wasn't a threat, but considering how being piled on by multiple voices might be intimidating in itself, I can concede how you might interpret that as browbeating.
I disagree with that interpretation, and took offense at his characterization of their concerns as dangers to the public. Plus, he was flagging, and I consider that rude, as well as foolish, given he flagged a whale, because downvotes on Steemit take money from the victims, rather than simply express opinion, like on Fakebook.
Sure, it was a bit of ganging up. Everyone took offense, it's a contentious topic with a lot at stake. You know where I stand on flagging, I think I've been clear. I'm glad you did interject, good to have another non-clique opinion.
Then you take responsibility when this guy or anyone new that you give this advice to, pisses off the wrong person with their flag and finds their account useless. And that's up to you.
As for myself, I will continue to tell people that it's a terrible way to make friends, that it's actually a great way to make enemies. If you don't think that people should use restraint when it comes to flags, then either you haven't been paying attention to what happens when people don't, or you enjoy the warzone. Flagging leads to more flagging and bad feelings on all sides. Maybe it shouldn't, but that's just the way it is.
We have different views on flagging. I see them as downvotes, which is consistent with how the appear on the blockchain. It's the fault of Steemit Inc. for showing them as flags in the UI many moons ago.
I totally get it that it's contentious, I've seen the so-called flag wars. Flagging only leads to more flagging when people are juvenile. But this guy is free to make his own mind up and listen to whomever he wishes, hopefully himself.
I appreciate you taking the time to debate this with me in this sometimes bristling exchange of opinion.
Haha! I appreciate you lightening it up. I think you're right though, I think long ago they should have made something separate for downvotes and flags.