The first line of "downvoting" and "concealing" one's answers is in your mind. You are not forced to take anyone seriously or even read what they write.

Disagree when it impacts our reputation and thus our following and earnings.

Again I think I may have algorithmic idea for a solution. And as in most of my ideas, I don't favor a globalized metric, as that can become censorship.

If there's too much trolling on threads, and this becomes a serial problem, then the person involved is simply putting at stake his reputation due to fear of multiple downvotes.

Not always. Because people are conflicted about creating global censorship wars which drag everyone down into the gutter.

Globalized metrics really don't work because they lack sufficient degrees-of-freedom. And IMO that is precisely what the problem is with Steem as currently designed.