The problem is it's not a downvote - it's a flag. That might subconsciously irk anarchy-minded folks as well.
I'm aware there used to be just a downvote next to the upvote in the early days. They should bring that back. Purely positive opinion is boring and unhealthy, there needs to be a way to express a negative opinion. Reddit has used this system for years to great success. As a result, circlejerk type posts, or posts that don't deserve to be high on Hot are dealt with in short order. Of course, the "Controversial" tab surfaces some rather interesting posts that have a lot of upvotes and downvotes.
It'll also stimulate more demand for Steem Power - voting / opinion wars are healthy for the network.
Indeed, although maybe putting it as upvote and downvote near to each other like on Reddit may cause the downvotes to be used more often without much thought.. maybe. well unless expressing negative opinions doesn't affect payout? It's the effect on payout that's causing distress to some users..
I think so, it'll help... It's just a matter of perception. If people realise that a downvote is just that, I'm hoping they'll learn to live with it. It's true that because there's money involved, people would be more upset than on Reddit, but hey, you earn your payout.
And yes, I think a downvote should definitely affect payout, personally. I don't know if the Steemit community will be able to deal with that - I would like to hope so - but so far we have proved to be exceptionally thin-skinned people. It's the question as you pose - "Can we handle the truth"? I don't know...
Nice grab of Alex, by the way :)
Most likely not..
Lol, at first I thought this scene was from Terry Gilliam's Brazil, i thought i remember the main character's eyes being pried open in similar fashion.. watched it but just missing that scene somehow..