It Is Time for Separating Downvotes from Flags

New UIs, new users, flags, mixed functions, confusions, annoyances. We've spent enough time in the beta to see that this won't work well without separation.

---

Intro

In the end of 2016, after a long selection, I dedicated my mind to the Steem blockchain – until it deserves it. Steem hasn't disappointed me yet, and you could see on my account history that I don't lie about dedication (I don't like to).
After I've seen @asshole's "work", I've written an article about how we can defend our visibility and why I don't hate the troll. I've got some comments, and thought more about these kind of problems, looked for a long-term, future proof solution. What I'm writing here, is the result of this thought process (another thing why I don't hate @asshole; the whole thing started with them; and maybe it's because I like Joker's character).

---

^{meme by @tibonova; click on the image for the scene uploaded by arcanus2344a}

The Flag

The problem of the flag is that it isn't really a flag but a downvote plus a flag bundled into a tiny flag icon that everyone associates with "one did something wrong."

There is an advantage of this mix, namely when you don't like something and you think it will harm the community at the same time, you need to click only on one sign instead of two. But are there any disadvantages?

Reasons of the Separation Request

What happens if/when

• I don't agree with somebody;
• I don't agree with the payout amount of one's post;
• I'm a semi-@asshole, who wants to downvote;

but I don't want to make their post less visible?

Now, I have to use the flag, there is no other option to balance out upvotes.
And what would happen when I or any user would use it like that? We have already known that thanks to @asshole: drama, confusion, annoyance, required explanations, hesitant new users, even fear about consequences. That is because they don't see a simple dislike but a well-known flag.

If the devs would just change the UI to show a simple downvote like on @busy.org, we would just go to the other extreme. Everyone could push the dislike button without realizing that it is also a flag.

3rd Party UIs

With @busy.org open-beta, we can see that the blockchain must to be separate from the UI as possible, as @steemitblog has already written. What am I talking about? Let's see a screenshot from a random test post.

^{screenshot by @tibonova}

---

@steemit shouldn't think that every developer uses the features of the blockchain the same way as they. Actually they don't do (they are in connection with @busy.org).

As you know that, @busy.org is an UI, which means they are using the same blockchain (Steem) as @steemit. When somebody hit on the dislike button on @busy.org, it appears as a flag on @steemit, because they are same.
Has somebody ordered chaos and drama? /s
The good thing is that @busy.org shows the dislike button only in full post view, under the post. This makes pushing it after a short impression less likely. However, I think @busy.org's example shows that well we need to separate different things.

KISS the Isolation

In @steemitblog's post, the organization made that clear that they develop Steem by the KISS principle while also isolating functions from each other. We could think that the separation of downvote and flag is against the KISS, but as I've written before, we can see it won't work well together. I use the same quote as they:

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. – Albert Einstein

Simplifying things on function level is isolation after all, which also means that one function should be viable in itself, the less dependency the better. Therefore separating two different things that developers could use with a greater freedom, is desirable.

The Functions of the New Buttons

Whith the separation, I would introduce a new flagging mechanism, where every flagger must make a (filterable) comment, where they have to explain the reasons of the flag. Since those comments could also have a flag, false flags could be counter-attacked by the community, and flaggers would think it twice before they risk their reputation.

The effects of flagging a post would be:

1. Making a post less visible (like now)
2. Harm the posters reputation (like now)
3. Show the number of flaggers (like now, but they wouldn't contain any downvote-type flags [e.g. when sy. flag for too high payouts now, which would be deprecated with this proposal])
4. Make a (filterable) comment section with the reasons of flagging for future discussions about the flags on the post

---

The downvoting wouldn't require any explanation, just like the upvotes. It's important that it would only harm the payout, not the reputation or visibility. Also, it would make available a new filter tab (like Trending now), the Controversial.

The effects of downvoting a post would be:

1. Lower the post's payout
2. Lower the upvotes number by the downvotes number
3. Show a percentage or an indicator to let the users know the upvote ratio (otional, maybe it fits the votes dropdown better)

The Issue at Github

I'd wanted to open an issue, but after a search I saw that @timcliff has already opened one about this. I wanted to comment my ideas there but the discussion is closed. Nevermind, I've written that I had wanted here.

^{PS.:Sadly, I cannot manage to read a lot here (putting up this article has been taking me 7+ hours alone, and I have many more tasks), but I will look into @timcliff's witness work, as I met with his name many times, and I'll consider voting him for witness. It seems he put a lot of effort into making Steem better and he also seems a real community player.}

Opinions

I'm waiting for opinions for this post more than my regular posts. Your feedbacks are kind of a fuel to my mind. If you have better connections than me (it's not hard, for I spend little time here for building relations and I am forever alone, lol), you could send this proposal closer to the decision makers. I don't think mentioning @ned or @dan & @dantheman could work, so it depends on you. Six users should be enough. ;)

---

Image Credits

[1] by @tibonova is hereby released under CC0 1.0 Universal License and Do What The Fuck You Want To Public License.

---

^{≋ Follow [tibonova⏷], upvote ⮹ (like 🖒), comment, resteem ↱ (reblog) and share – the power is yours from now! 🛀}