I am very new to Steemit.  But what @knircky says here rings true to me.  The response to allegedly manipulative content should be to expose it, not censor it.  @transisto's open letter admits that he/she flags posts that he/she disagrees with or disapproves of.  That violates the etiquette guidelines that I just read yesterday, doesn't it?

My own views are quite politically incorrect.  If I am going to be flagged by people just for sincerely speaking my mind, just because they want to silence my point of view, and if the Steemit community is ok with that kind of censorship and mob thinking, then maybe I'll have to keep looking for a place where diversity of thought is really valued and, not just tolerated, but cherished.