You have to differ between the small downvotes which aren't worth anything and just used for trolling, and the bigger ones used to balance rewards.
The former don't do anything except giving a small sting to the ego, and I see them as a part of normalizing them, so they're not even bad. There's dislikes on youtube, do those keep off content creators?

The big ones are used to stop people from different forms of self voting. Like bid bots, trading is a form of this too. If you upvote others just to get their vote, it's nothing but a covered up self vote. Slowwalker does this and nothing else, so people exchanging votes with him get targeted.

I understand where you're coming from.  I agree that it woud indeed create much damage to smaller innocent account.  I'm baffled that smooth flagged you a worth of $7 but he must have his reasons.  You may ask him why,  you know, he would probably give you a why if he sees your question - course, he won't if he wont but having the impression I have of smooth he'd probably do.

As for my flags, I can't tell whether those are haters' flags or they just don't like my post.  I haven't bumped into them till that posts so they may just be dislikers and I don't mind that because  I understand that my posts is not for everyone as I also have my own preferrences and reasons on casting ups plus would I only accept upvotes but I would probably also feel bad if I know that I put my heart out on my posts, polished it yada, yada, yada exerted much effort on it and then it got heavily flagged after all am human, too but what I can't control - I let go most of the time otherwise it would just consume me and make me  react negatively on whoever flagged my post and as much as possible I don't really want to take things personally here because it's just the net.  Though I really take kindness seriously - that is at least worth thinking it's real and really, some extend offline, this is just a friendly advice, pls watch out there are those who can be very manipulative and pretend to be kind, I have encountered a few and there are more authentic kindness I have bumped into here so  I'd rather focus on that.

Once, I tried tracking a patron flagger who seem to stopped visiting me nowadays but in the end, I gave up on it because what's the point - the flagger is even anonymous and hiding in his account name - which I find very cowardly and backstabbing, I do appreciate those who flag and explain why on earth they did that but then only if they're not arrogant!  I've seen a few arrogant newbies whom I find also very imposing,  obstinate and self - righteous am not a fan of that.  As for revenge flagging I find it a waste of energy and it would only encourage the continuing flag some also get tired of flagging you specially if you just give them a cold shoulder but then it's just me and my case is different from yours.

I understand and would also find it a double standard to downvote a certain post and cast a post one favors and earn much curation rewards on that - indeed, if I would look at it your way - it does look like that although I question whether the "possible curation rewards" really have manifested after the last fork!  I did curate more often than not when I couldn't post before the autumn break and I wonder whether I did earn more than just posting.

I also think that if they consistently upvote the same authors they would eventually find themself sucked in what is called circle jerking - although unconsciously and not in a conniving way - or maybe even in a conniving way.  It's hard to tell and judge.

I am not a fan of the flag and still am not but I find it important to also try to look at things the way others do because they may know something I don't.  I just wish we could just find a different approach to combat the abuse - including circle jerking if it does harm the system and if we do - may it be positive and amiable after all people really tend to not forget how you make them feel, imho, it's very important to not hurt anyone's feelings and some could really be sensitive here.  In my experience here, it's sad to loose a reader or a supporter more so - offend them.  This is the net and yet, it has the same IRL social issues.

If there's one thing I learned after reading the comment thread on this - it's really hard to see and understand things the way others see and understand thems and in my opinion - it's like watching a double tipped pentelpen scream about the points they're trying to make, at each other, finding them both having a point and finding it hard to make those points meet elsewhere.  For that same reason, I'd stick to live and let live and hope that somehow they find a way to listen to each other after all, there maybe something both of them and me included and the many others who read this comment thread, they could find as the really effective solution/s.  As of now - it's hard to tell.

As for some who are proven to have abused the system, I won't necessarily have to no longer cast my upvote on them nor have a prejudice against those people and no one has the right to question whom I cast my upvotes - that part, I can control and it's up to me and I intend to use it wisely - according to my own definition of it and people will just have to respect that as I do so with the way they cast their ups and downs.

Chereo!  Enjoy autumn!