We appreciate that you're discussing this issue @williambanks! We're seeing the misuse of the flagging button to indicate disagreement rather than to identify actual abuse. This censorship is the worst violation a user can perpetuate on another, and at the very least it needs to be discussed. Disagreements can be clarified with productive conversations, and the entire community can benefit from public discourse, but to flag a user maliciously or without any kind of constructive criticism offered stunts thoughtful development.

We like your suggestions for a new downvote button to indicate disagreement as well as a cost associated with flagging. We call for VALUES, honor, and responsibility, community consensus for the standards to be upheld, and accountability for users found to be abusing the system.

We love and appreciate Steemit, and we have high hopes for its evolution. We are committed to the success of this platform and are grateful for users like you who are willing to discuss options for improvement!