OPEN LETTER TO @WHALES: please be mindfull with your MASS-DOWNVOTES before it's to late

INTRODUCTION

I've read a number of interesting publications related to that recent forks, however, most authors seem to focus on the new 50/50 reward split, non-linear rewards curve and benefits of new free downvote pool.

And today, I would like to focus on that latest improvement: free downvlote pool. I see this as a crucial topic which doesn't get enough attention.

Lately, I've witness groups of users teaming up and looking for other targets that they could mass-downvote to their satisfaction. And many people out there express satisfaction, whenever they can join mass-downvoting and sending one user after another into "oblivion".

PROBLEM I SEE

	Dear readers, try to imagine a community in which people who have the largest stake (wealthy ones) are receiving new weapons.

A tool that allows them to punish anyone who doesn't follow and obey their own 'code of ethics' and unwritten rules. Imagine that you could lose your hand whenever they would decide that you deserve that (regardless of your crime). Or sentence you to death, without any warning or even without letting you know what you did wrong.

Imagine a world full of small local of wealthy warlords, who started "cleaning" the world from unwanted people and targeting them for crimes that were not considered 'crimes' until now. A world where those warlords do not take any responsibility for their own actions (and there is no power that could regulate their behaviors or punish them for wrong decisions.

This is how I see Steemit right now. And I feel so sorry for all those users, who's accounts and sometimes months of work ruined just within a day. Very few users with a large stake, seem to even try to put himself/herself in shoes of those who are being flagged/downvoted for reasons they usually do not understand.

So many of them act like simple "downvotes" would solve the problem.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLE

	I understand that fighting abuse is generally a very noble thing to do, we all still should think twice if receiving punishment is equal to the crime.

Please have a look at this example of a user, who has been mass downvoted and his reputation went down from 40 to 12, simply because he used a picture, which was coming from a free picture site so he was allowed to use it without giving credit to this site:

Honestly, sadness was all I felt while reading this comment. I'm really sad for all those vulnerable users who will suffer for reasons they sometimes do not understand.

How many of you would continue your efforts on the Steemit platform, knowing that you got downvoted so badly to the point that your publications are no longer visible to anyone?

IMPORTANT QUESTION

	Is it really the way to go? How much longer can Steemit endure with unregulated "militia" (wealthy users with their own visions).

Militia that can punish anyone they target without any given warning, without adding to a blacklist of people being warned, without taking any responsibility for their actions and possible mistakes.

We can call them militia, we can call them warlords. Either way, those users are absolutely above the law. Their invested wealth allowed many of them to become THE LAW. And it's absolutely scary ...

IT'S TIME FOR REFLECTION

	I strongly believe that it's time for solid reflection, before it's too late. On one hand, so many people are trying to onboard new users,

...but at the same time many of those users are being discouraged by being targeted. Often without warning, without a second chance and sometimes without any option but to power down.

After all, what would you do if you would become downvoted till your reputation is close to zero and your publications are no longer visible to anyone .... would you still stick around?

Those newbies more often than not are coming to conclusions, that the Steemit platform is very complicated, with a huge learning curve, there is pretty much noone supporting their efforts and helping them to get some traffic. However, there are many people eager to punish them for "doing wrong".

Let's make it clear: I'm not fully against downvoting and I see great work done by users like @theycallmedan and many others, however it's very obvious that something needs to change. Or we will end up killing the remaining of our small userbase and turning STEEM blockchain into club of "wealthy and privileged only" users.

Not to mention that users who will be "forced to quit" Steemit will probably never come back and will share their awful story with others. Is that what we really want? To bring so much negative PR to our platform?

Something really need to change. And we should start with acknowledging the problem and thinking of solutions.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:

Right now we're building downvoting culture and results of our actions will stay with us for very long time.

RESTEEM IF YOU CAN
Yours, Piotr