@dantheman, I couldn't hope for a better example to illustrate how broken the flagging concept is: @ned needing to resort to the abuse flag to achieve his goal. The founder of a platform misusing (or abusing) his own platform. This is ridiculous.
We really need to sort it out and the only option I see is reintroduce the downvote button and make a clear distinction between flagging (affects reputation) and downvoting (no impact on reputation). As it is now, it's just terrible UX - we really can't afford this to continue.
I made a post today arguing for this.
If one of the founders and creators of the system is doing that, it should tell you that your idea of what the feature means is incorrect. Indeed I would argue that calling it strictly and exclusively an "abuse flag" is too rigid. It is a flag, certainly, but whether it should only be used for abuse is simply opinion. Clearly @ned does not see it that way.
It can even be primarily an abuse flag and still be used for other purposes. That said, I agree with you that there should be a downvote option distinct from flag.
See where people walk -- and then put the walkway there. It's a flag. If we are supposed to think of it as a reward reduction make it look like one.
It also means that there is a total confusion and lack of consensus among the users about what this flag is supposed to be doing and when to use it. That's why I call it a UX disaster.
Some reputable authors clearly unhappy with their posts being flagged without a reason, while one of the founders indicates that it's OK to use the flag indiscriminately. Utter mess.
If the flag is used for other purposes, it loses its main functionality: a warning sign for the reader and a way to give feedback to the author. It essentially becomes a payment reduction tool with the unexpected side-effect of (sometimes) degrading someone's reputation.
OK, I'm not gonna raise this issue again - I don't want to abuse your or @dan's patience. I am glad you are one of the few people who understand the urgency of the problem. My mission to convey it ends here.