There has been so much going on lately that it's hard to keep up with it all! And I suppose that's not a bad thing. This is my first time posting on SteemPeak, as well as PalNet. So many people seem to be moving away from Steemit these days, and everyone has their reasons. My main reason is the ads, and to a lesser degree, the many people who are growing ever more disgruntled with the platform. Kind of sad when I think about it, but dissatisfaction is always a driving force for change.

It actually took some time for me to realize that Steemit and Steem are not one and the same. I think this was the case for many people in the past, but this new generation of Steemians is more aware of the difference between the blockchain and the platforms and apps that are upon it. In any case, I do appreciate that Steemit, from the beginning, was initially responsible for welcoming so many first, and new, users to Steem.

I hope that the community continues to unite and make the blockchain one of the greatest out there. I don't have many followers that I know of, so I won't be long in sharing these few thoughts, but I wanted to get some ideas out there. Who knows, maybe they'll find their way to some minds who might consider them useful.

The Value of Downvotes?

What is the real value of downvoting? Why should we have the right to interfere with what a person earns from what they create? When have you ever not watched a video on YouTube because of the amount of dislikes it received? Can we truly demonstrate that downvoting has helped Steem?

If I place my vote for an Author, which adds a monetary value to their post, why should someone else be allowed to cancel out a part of what I've wanted to give that Author? If I were to pull my money out of the bank and place it in a bowl, together with others, to give to someone because we like what that person has done or created, how dare someone come and take money out of that bowl to give back to the bank!!! I would go ballistic, and forgive me, but might actually hurt the dude!

To be honest, I'm afraid to downvote for fear of retaliation! And I know I'm not alone! I don't have a lot of Steem Power, nor do I get a lot of votes for my posts. And there are moments in which I would like to hit the downvote button to show discontent with what I've read, or a person's behavior, but I don't!

And this is where I believe the real value of the downvote should be focused. It should be a tool for the expression of discontent, and not a determination of whether the Author, or his posts, have value. Who are we to decide what others should like or dislike? The only reason a downvote should take shares out of the reward pool is to counter a self-vote. In this way, you are directly challenging the Author, and not interfering with the decisions made by curators.

Maybe platforms like SteemPeak or PalNet could implement this idea; or maybe the platforms of the future will! Who knows!

If you find these insights useful, I have more. If not, if was nice to share these insights on my first SteemPeak and PalNet post! Thank you!