Question asked on Musing.io by nonsowrites

Viewing a response to: @musing-threads/f3ndsdznx

musing-threads · @nonsowrites · Nov 19 '18

$0.26

Question asked on Musing.io

<a href="https://musing.io/q/nonsowrites/pkkxu7a25"><b>View this question on Musing.io</b></a>

👍 musing, josediccus, cryptocopy, malakah, caliboycalwayne, ching-chong

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malakah	739,851,607	100%
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ching-chong	311,641,511	100%
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@bitcast · Nov 19 '18

Question answered on Musing.io

<a href="https://musing.io/q/nonsowrites/pkkxu7a25">View this answer on Musing.io</a>

👍 caliboycalwayne

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@josediccus · Nov 19 '18

$0.75

Question answered on Musing.io

<a href="https://musing.io/q/nonsowrites/pkkxu7a25">View this answer on Musing.io</a>

👍 musing, josediccus, linco, reazuliqbal, mixr

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@erikah · Nov 19 '18

Question answered on Musing.io

<a href="https://musing.io/q/nonsowrites/pkkxu7a25">View this answer on Musing.io</a>

👍 futuremind, linco, reazuliqbal, mixr, caliboycalwayne

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@shemzy · Nov 19 '18

$0.77

Question answered on Musing.io

<a href="https://musing.io/q/nonsowrites/pkkxu7a25">View this answer on Musing.io</a>

👍 musing, funtraveller, linco

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@nonsowrites · Nov 19 '18

I think you're contradicting yourself. Your first paragraph says the steem ecosystem supports freedom of speech; your second paragraph says users abuse the flag option...so what are you driving at exactly?

Posted using [Partiko Android](https://steemit.com/@partiko-android)

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@shemzy · Nov 19 '18

<p>That users are at fault and not the blockchain</p>

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1 reply

@itstime · Nov 19 '18

$1.07

Question answered on Musing.io

<a href="https://musing.io/q/nonsowrites/pkkxu7a25">View this answer on Musing.io</a>

👍 musing, awesomianist

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@itstime · Nov 19 '18

damn @musing you quick with this one..huh..I see you !!

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@nonsowrites · Nov 19 '18

$0.03

I very well agree with you on this. We are not immune to the consequence of our actions or speak, regardless of the fact that we are free to do so.

Posted using [Partiko Android](https://steemit.com/@partiko-android)

👍 dustsweeper, itstime

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dustsweeper	0 B		45,023,086,950	6.5%

@dustsweeper · Nov 23 '18

Your balance is below $0.3. Your account is running low and should be replenished. You have roughly 10 more @dustsweeper votes. Check out the Dustsweeper FAQ here: https://steemit.com/dustsweeper/@dustsweeper/dustsweeper-faq

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@jlordc · Nov 19 '18

$1.32

Question answered on Musing.io

<a href="https://musing.io/q/nonsowrites/pkkxu7a25">View this answer on Musing.io</a>

👍 musing, funtraveller, reazuliqbal, nonsowrites, mixr

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vote details (5)

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@nonsowrites · Nov 19 '18

Thanks for throwing more light on this. I think this is one of the fundamental issues we need to address. Everyone needs to feel that they can speak their mind, without malice and not fear to be punished for it.

Posted using [Partiko Android](https://steemit.com/@partiko-android)

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@cryptocopy · Nov 19 '18

$5.22

Question answered on Musing.io

<a href="https://musing.io/q/nonsowrites/pkkxu7a25">View this answer on Musing.io</a>

👍 musing, funtraveller, caliboycalwayne

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`json_metadata`	"{"appParentAuthor":"nonsowrites","appCategory":"Steemit","musingAppVersion":"1.1","appTags":["Steemit"],"app":"Musing","appDepth":2,"musingPostType":"answer","appParentPermlink":"pkkxu7a25","appTitle":"Most people say that the steem blockchain supports freedom of speech, but I have noticed that a lot of people are silent about so many things on this platform out of fear of being flagged by someone with greater steem power. Does this inequality affect the purpose of this platform?","musingAppId":"aU2p3C3a8N","appBody":"<p>No, flagging by \"big accounts\" does not affect the purpose of the platform nor does it negate freedom of speech. (For clarity's sake, I'll assume that by purpose of this platform, you mean providing a decentralized, blockchain-based platform for all types of user-generated content.)<\/p>\n<p>It's important that all users of Steem understand that there is a distinction between Steemit.com and the Steem Blockchain. In this respect, the Steem Blockchain is the decentralized ledger \"for publicly accessible and immutable content\", this should be differentiated with the Steemit.com website, which is one of many frontends for the Steem blockchain. <\/p>\n<p>Now, because the Steem blockchain is publicly accessible and immutable, anything published here cannot be altered by anyone, including the user who published the content themselves. Thus, there is no possible incidence of censorship or violation of free speech--whether from Steemit Inc, the government or any whale regardless of how much stake they have--because there is nothing they can do to alter or take down your content. I mean, a whale may flag you to the depths of the Earth, but your content will still be there on the blockchain, no matter how hard they try. <\/p>\n<p>This is what sets the Steem blockchain and all Steem-based DApps and websites apart from Google, Facebook and other websites and social media apps. Once you hit publish, your content is out there on the blockchain, available to be enjoyed by everyone for eternity. As a WeChat user once said, \"There is no 404 on the blockchain\". The Steem blockchain therefore effectively protects our right to free speech because no form of intervention or censorship can be imposed on the content that we publish. <\/p>\n<p>What about Steemit.com, then? The issue of flagging and free speech only becomes relevant when we start talking about frontends like Steemit.com. <\/p>\n<p>In this respect, you're right that once a whale or even a large group of minnows decide to use their flagging privileges against you, your posts and comments become \"hidden\" in the platform, such that other users would have to consciously click on the \"Show Hidden Content\" button to see what you wrote. This is arguably a form of censorship in favor of accounts with high STEEM Power. However, is this necessarily a violation of one's freedom of speech? Does it negate the decentralized and immutable nature of the blockchain?  <\/p>\n<p>I'd have to say, no to both questions.<\/p>\n<p>First, we have to understand the context of why flagging was implemented. Flagging in Steemit.com exists not to stifle speech, but to protect it. This is because the right to freedom of speech is not absolute. As important as it is, our freedom of speech can be prone to abuse. Thus, depending on the jurisdiction, laws are in place to prevent abusive free speech like <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Defamation\" title=\"Defamation\">libel<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Defamation\" title=\"Defamation\">slander<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pornography\" title=\"Pornography\">pornography<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Obscenity\" title=\"Obscenity\">obscenity<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fighting_words\" title=\"Fighting words\">fighting words<\/a>, and infringements on <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intellectual_property\" title=\"Intellectual property\">intellectual property<\/a>. This is because in these cases, freedom of speech is no longer being used to further discussion and debate, but is being abused to harm and cause offense to others.  <\/p>\n<p>This is the same case in Steemit.com where flagging was implemented to prevent spam and protect the platform against unwanted behavior. It doesn't violate free speech, it just protects against its abuse. So, users shouldn't fear flagging. Instead, they should embrace it.<\/p>\n<p>Now, can flagging be abused, too? Of course it can. I have been flagged a few times, myself for no other reason than because I supported individuals that the flagger did not agree with. Luckily, the downvote value was too small to make a difference. However, saying that the behavior significantly affected the purpose of this platform is going too far. I mean, it is still a decentralized platform, right? <\/p>\n<p>This brings me to my second point. Decentralization doesn't mean you're always heard or seen, it only means that no one party controls what happens in the platform. The fact that flagging can be done by all accounts doesn't negate its decentralized nature. In fact, it enforces it. <\/p>\n<p>Sure, the person with high STEEEM Power will always win over the person with a lower STEEM Power. But, when you think about it, this also means that ten people with 100 STEEM Power can band together to undo the flag of one person with 1,000 STEEM Power. That's the point of decentralization--putting the power to decide and make an impact on the hands of many versus the hands of one. Is it always fair? No. But, when you think about it, it is a better situation than having all the power in hands of one user or one central authority like Steemit Inc. Granted, Steemit Inc. still holds a large amount of STEEM Power, which one could argue, that the platform is still effectively centralized under them. But, the company has already stated that they plan to divest themselves of their STEEM Power over the years, which indicates that the decentralization is still the end goal. <\/p>\n<p>And, when you consider the fact that not even all the whales agree on issues, then flagging almost becomes a non-issue because just are there are whales who will flag you for saying one thing, there are also whales who will upvote you for the same content. In the end, the entire scenario actually plays out to achieve the real goal of free speech, which is to encourage discussion and debate.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, just because people are discouraged from posting out of fear of being flagged, doesn't mean that their rights are being infringed. Even in the real world, not everyone speaks out their mind. I'm an opinionated person myself, but I don't publish all my views online-regardless of how private and free the platform is. Why? My main reason is because I don't want to be publicly associated with my political views. It's not practical, what if I say something that gets back to me and ends up costing me a job or a relationship. And if you consider that political views can change through time, I don't want to be immortalized with my views, either. However, I don't see this as an infringement of my right to free speech. I could still post my views if I wanted to and no one, not even the government can stop me. I just choose not to, so my rights are still in tact. <\/p>\n<p>Plus, just because the right to free speech exists doesn't mean that people are free from scrutiny, ridicule, and backlash. You won't be persecuted legally for expressing your opinion, but you're not free from the public's scrutiny, either. Remember, everyone gets the same rights under the law, so it's naive to think that other users will not disagree with your opinions. So, in a way, the fear of getting flagged isn't because flagging violates free speech, or because the Steem blockchain is not fulfilling it's goal of offering a decentralized blockchain for user-generated content. No. If someone isn't brave enough to face the backlash of flagging on Steemit, it's not because the Steem blockchain is failing. Maybe it's because the person never intended to be a strong advocate for their beliefs to begin with. Nothing wrong with that. We're not all fighters. Some of us are entrepreneurs, or developers, or just simple people who want to answer questions. <\/p>\n<p>So, just because flagging exists in the Steem blockchain, doesn't mean that it violates free speech or negates the purpose of the platform. The nature of the blockchain essentially guarantees a user's right to free speech since it means all content is immutable on the Steem blockchain. Plus, instead of curtailing free speech, flagging could serve as a tool to help protect it against abuse. <\/p>\n<p>In the end, if you don't like to see the flags, there are other frontends that don't make use of it. Musing.io, for example, only allows upvotes. So, you can just spend your time here, instead. <\/p>\n<p>Hope this helps.<\/p>\n<p>Sources:<\/p>\n<ol>\n <li>Freedom of speech - Wikipedia. https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Freedom_of_speech<\/li>\n <li>Steem Blue Paper. https:\/\/steem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/steem-bluepaper-1.pdf<\/li>\n <li>Commentary: Blockchain Could Be the Savior of Free Speech. http:\/\/fortune.com\/2018\/07\/26\/blockchain-technology-cryptocurrency-ethereum-censorship-free-speech\/<\/li>\n<\/ol>"}"
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vote details (3)

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@conradt · Nov 20 '18

$0.80

Question answered on Musing.io

<a href="https://musing.io/q/nonsowrites/pkkxu7a25">View this answer on Musing.io</a>

👍 musing, funtraveller

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