Steemit is implementing a reputation system that will evolve over time. The system will start out simple and get more advanced as things progress.
Here is what you need to know:
- If you constantly get downvoted your posts will be marked as spam and hidden unless a user clicks to reveal all spam.
- If you do not earn any positive reputation by contributing to the discussion then your votes will be ignored in our ranking algorithm.
- If you do not have positive reputation then you will not be able to impact the reputation of others.
- If you have a negative reputation then your posts will be excluded from the global index pages
None of these changes require hardforks, but all of them will impact the user experience on Steemit.com
But what about Censorship?
You have a right to say what you want, but users have the right to plug their ears. All of your content will be available on the blockchain and will be visible to those who want to see it (unless we are required by law to take it down).
We will not hide / filter any content that has greater than $0.02 pending payout. If something is deemed valuable enough to be paid, then it will be displayed.
All of your comments, blogs, etc will remain visible on your own profile page.
Use the Mute Button
If you are tired of seeing posts by people, use the mute button. We will gradually incorporate the mute / follow information to better filter / sort content for users. The mute button will not hide posts with pending payouts. If you see someone you have muted with a pending payout then flag it.
Conclusion
The abuse you see today will not last long term and is an artifact of rapid growth. We fully believe that our stake-weighted reputation system will ultimately be more powerful than those available on other platforms.