You know there are bots on Steemit, and also that @ned and @dan aren't seeking to mine rewards. Given that flags from @blacklist-a have been being flown at least as long as I've been on Steemit, the new account you point out must but be a new iteration of the mechanism that directs some of those bots away from posts.

Being flagged by @blacklist-a would be a very simple way to keep your posts from sucking rewards out of the pool, and it makes sense that @ned would want that flag, because that enables those bots to instead promote other accounts, particularly those with higher rep, which motivates them to continue to create value on Steemit.

That seems the most reasonable reason for @ned, @dan, and @steemcleaners to be on the blacklist. Maybe @berniesanders also, since he's on there too. He has his own bots, and spends plenty of SP flagging already, so he apparently has little need of votes from bots intended to encourage high rep accounts to continue to contribute.

Steemit has a YOY churn of almost 90%, and retaining high rep accounts has to be a priority for founding whales. Not all high rep accounts, however, are conducive to the sociopolitical/economic ends of the founders, and blacklisting them also makes sense.

For wee minnows, like myself, this is all pretty theoretical. I bet you, however, are benefiting from votes intended to encourage high rep users, as you are a shining example of the 10% that have managed to keep producing value on the platform.

And, for that, I thank you.