@inquiringtimes recently responded to a post by @lukestokes regarding his take on using flags in an effort to contain spam and protect the reward pool.  Luke was kind enough to take some time out of his day to answer a few questions on a range of topics.

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In the following interview @inquiringtimes and @mikepm74 discuss with Luke some of his recent posts, including the importance of using your witness votes, the CryptoCurrency Market, and of course the issue of Steem abuse.  

Join us in the newest installment in our "<em>Save the Rewards Pool</em>" series, as we have a chat with witness #26 Like Stokes (Witness account @lukestokes.mhth).

<h3>Interview</h3>

<b>@newsteem</b>:
On July 31 you published the post <a href="https://steemit.com/witness-category/@lukestokes/how-many-steemians-are-not-voting-for-a-witness-i-found-the-answer">How Many Steemians are NOT Voting for a Witness?</a>. Since that time you have provided frequent updates about Witness Voting engagement. With the voting percentages remaining as low as they are, can you talk to us in minnow terms about what effect our votes have on the platform?

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**@lukestokes:**
>Witness voting is an interesting concept. Dan Larimer explains how <a href="https://steemit.com/dpos/@dantheman/dpos-consensus-algorithm-this-missing-white-paper">DPOS (Delegated Proof of Stake) secures this blockchain</a> and most of us non-geniuses still don't know what he's taking about. I'm not going to attempt to do a better job at explaining it.  I can say, in a nutshell, that the witnesses are the people elected by the stake holders to validate transactions, and create blocks which leads to a secure blockchain. It's important they keep their servers running consistently and they evaluate and test all code changes to this place that we love. They are also the decision makers so they need to understand the community and be an active participant in it. If Steemit, inc goes in a direction the community does not support, for example, they have the power to not implement a hard fork.

>I'd love to tell you differently, but minnow votes, technically, don't matter much when it comes to deciding who gets to be a top witness. As <a href="http://www.steemreports.com/witness-voters/">you can see here</a>, the holders of the most Steem Power really get to decide. That said, do you plan to stay a minnow forever? As whales power down and cash out (I watch them do it every week with the <a href="https://steemit.com/exchangereport/@lukestokes/exchange-transfer-report-9-10-2017-to-9-16-2017">Exchange Transfer Report</a> I've been running for over a year) then new dolphins and orcas put some cash down on the table and decide to take their place. As a witness, gaining minnow votes is still important because they will often promote you and be your large supporters in the future if they are here to <a href="https://steemit.com/steem/@lukestokes/consider-buying-steem-be-an-owner-not-a-renter">be an owner and not a renter</a>. 
>
>I value every vote for my witness @lukestokes.mhth. I also value educating people on things which I think can benefit the world and create a place we all want to live in.


<b>@newsteem:</b>
One of the interests you blog about is CryptoCurrency. The last couple of weeks has really been a roller coaster for everyone involved in the Crypto world. People were encouraged to either Go into full on panic, or just HODL and wait it out. As Bitcoin rebounds, the Hodlers, of which I believe you are one, have seemed to been correct. Share with us a little about how you would manage your portfolio assuming you maybe bought in a little more than you could afford to lose. i.e. what is the message for the panic types out there?

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<b>@lukestokes:</b>
>That's a good question, one I try to address often with my posts (such as <a href="https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@lukestokes/market-correction-should-i-sell-should-i-hold">here</a> and <a href="https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@lukestokes/short-term-profits-and-long-term-gains">here</a>). First off, if you bought in with more than you can afford to lose, you're already done. You're controlled by fear and emotion, through loss aversion, which turns off rational thought. 
>
>It's not just a saying, "Only invest what you're willing to lose." It's an important strategy. Long-term thinking requires reason and negative emotions choke reason out. My message is to understand from the beginning what you're investing in or don't invest at all. The post by Rick Falkvinge I link to <a href="https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@lukestokes/are-you-waiting-to-buy-cryptocurrency">here</a> is what got me investing in bitcoin in early 2013. It's why I didn't sell in 2014 when it crashed and why later I was able to <a href="https://steemit.com/freedom/@lukestokes/i-paid-off-my-house-today">pay off my house</a>. I understood early on how <a href="https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@lukestokes/why-bitcoin-may-be-more-disruptive-than-the-internet">bitcoin is more disruptive than the Internet</a> so I had no reason to sell. If you have that same understanding, you'll invest accordingly.

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<h2><a href="https://steemit.com/steemit/@lukestokes/flagging-someone-has-to-do-it">Flagging. Someone has to do it..</a></h2>

<b>@newsteem:</b>
Okay. So let’s get to the reason @inquiringtimes asked for this interview. Your post from 9/13 talking about the need to flag. 

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You gave a list of some of the users who you have felt the need to flag as Spam Bot Accounts. Steem is facing an epidemic of these vote farms, or bots who are trying to milk the reward system, and it seems like you have caught a few yourself. Why did you decide to go public with this list now?

<b>@lukestokes:</b>
<blockquote>Mostly because it's what I was thinking about that day. Some bloggers try to create a very specific niche for themselves and by doing so attract audiences who know exactly what to expect. I take a different approach which is more along the lines of this being my home on the Internet and if you want to come hang out and chat with me or read about what I'm doing or thinking about today, it's right here.</blockquote>


<b>@newsteem:</b>
Your efforts on this particular list seem to be working. I went to all of their blogs and the highest reputation I could find was 11, with most closer to zero. Do you think that flagging is an effective approach at this point, barring Steemit Inc deciding to get involved in shutting these accounts down?

<b>@lukestokes:</b>
>Flagging is what we have right now, but I was encouraged to see @sneak there in the comments. It seems they are working on some solutions.

<code>We are working behind the scenes to develop some useful tools to help counteract the spam problem. Stay tuned; this isn't how it will have to be forever. -<a href="https://steemit.com/steemit/@lukestokes/flagging-someone-has-to-do-it#@sneak/re-lukestokes-flagging-someone-has-to-do-it-20170915t060638305z">@sneak [from flagging post]</a></code>

<b>@newsteem:</b>
So some of the people who comment on your posts are far lower reputation than yourself, with far less voting weight. Would you recommend those folks enter the fray by flagging with their limited vote power? There seems to be a risk/reward here, if there is a “Main Account” behind these spam accounts that could come and start flagging smaller minnows who are trying to help out. What happens then? What advice would you give to minnows who want to be a part of stopping the issue?

<b>@lukestokes:</b>
<blockquote>That's a tough one. I was once the target of a whale who regularly flagged all my posts right before payout simply because he didn't like me, and I didn't back down from calling out his actions as being harmful to the network and counter to the wishes of the community.</blockquote>

<blockquote>At first, it was really discouraging. I enjoyed being on the trending page and earning nice rewards. I got over it quickly because I had already decided a long time ago why I was here, and it wasn't just about rewards. I confirmed that by <a href="https://steemit.com/steemit/@lukestokes/the-steemit-usdusdusd-challenge-prove-to-yourself-why-you-are-here">hiding the $ all together</a> a while back. My advice would be to be true to yourself, but if you're not familiar with <a href="https://steemit.com/peace/@lukestokes/nvc-violence-is-a-tragic-expression-of-an-unmet-need">Non-Violent Communication</a>, don't get involved. If you can't respond to irrational anger with understanding and compassion then you may just make things worse for you and them.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The other approach is to not be a minnow anymore, buy up a ton of STEEM and protect what you love here with your flags. At the end of the day, those who love this place outnumber those who just care about themselves and don't give a damn who they offend along the way.</blockquote>
<center><img src="https://steemitimages.com/0x0/https://image.ibb.co/bRtXeQ/22750299029_2d0bd5468e_z.jpg"></img></center><center><sup>(Image from: PixaBay User: Richard Patterson)</sup></center>

<b>@newsteem:</b>
Recently Tim Cliff wrote an article about how the new Steem Whitepaper states that we are to look to our witnesses on the subject of abuse. How much has that changed your approach to the subject?

<b>@lukestokes:</b>
>I think witnesses have always taken on the responsibility to secure the blockchain and that includes helping to deal with abuse. I don't think they should ever allow censorship on the blockchain, but they should take advantage of the tools we have such as flagging to protect their own investments and the value the community is building.

<b>@newsteem:</b>
Who are the witnesses that you know have been working to fight abuse, and if you can, breifly describe some of thier efforts. 

>Well the most obvious answer is @anyx. As the creator of the @cheetah bot and @steemcleaners, he's been effectively increasing the value of Steemit more than any other person I could name right now. Beyond that, it's everyone's responsibility to report abuse in the chat or flag it directly to keep this place what we want it to be.

We hope you enjoyed reading some of Luke's thoughts.  There can be little doubt that this is a witness who cares about the long term health of the Steem Platform.

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<center><img src="https://i.imgur.com/2uVuVb2.jpg" /></center>

<h4>Feel free to show your support if you like what @lukestokes is doing, by voting for his witness @lukestokes.mhth</h4>


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We'd like to finish this article by reaching out to our readers.  

Are you a witness with an opinion on the reward pool?  

Are you a minnow, dolphin, orca or whale with a mission like @sherlockholmes or @paulag who are working to better our community every day?  

Do you have a community like @steemcleaners out fighting the good fight for Steem?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, <b>We'd like to hear from you!</b>  Out of 300k users, we've barely scratched the surface!  We rely on you to stay in the loop!  Feel free to <em>contact me</em>, or @inquiringtimes, on discord. 

<h4>Let us know how We Can Help.</h4>



<center><img src="http://i.imgur.com/e5YQbMD.png" alt="hr2" /></center><center><sub>Proud member and supporter of the Minnow Support Project - Brought to you by:</sub></center>
<center><a href="http://minnowsupportproject.org/leadership/" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/588qGsE.jpg" alt="wit-list" /></a></center>
<center><a href="https://discord.gg/GUuCXgY" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/yBWPwqm.gif" alt="pal-sig-anim" /></a></center><center><img src="http://i.imgur.com/e5YQbMD.png" alt="hr2" /></img></center>


<h3>References</h3>

* <a href="https://steemit.com/witness-category/@lukestokes/how-many-steemians-are-not-voting-for-a-witness-i-found-the-answer">How Many Steemians are NOT Voting for a Witness? I Found the Answer!</a>
* @dantheman - <a href="https://steemit.com/dpos/@dantheman/dpos-consensus-algorithm-this-missing-white-paper">Dan Larimer explains DPOS (Delegated Proof of Stake)</a>
* <a href="http://www.steemreports.com/witness-voters/">steemreports.com/witness-voters</a>
* <a href="https://steemit.com/exchangereport/@lukestokes/exchange-transfer-report-9-10-2017-to-9-16-2017">Exchange Transfer Report 9/10/17-9/16/17</a>
* <a href="https://steemit.com/steem/@lukestokes/consider-buying-steem-be-an-owner-not-a-renter">be an owner and not a renter</a>
* <a href="https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@lukestokes/market-correction-should-i-sell-should-i-hold">Market Correction. Should I Sell, Should I Hold?</a>
* <a href="https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@lukestokes/short-term-profits-and-long-term-gains">Short term profits and long term gains.</a>
* <a href="https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@lukestokes/are-you-waiting-to-buy-cryptocurrency">Are you waiting to buy Cryptocurrency?</a>
* <a href="https://steemit.com/freedom/@lukestokes/i-paid-off-my-house-today">I paid off my house today</a>
* <a href="https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@lukestokes/why-bitcoin-may-be-more-disruptive-than-the-internet">Why Bitcoin may be more distruptive than the Internet</a>
* <a href="https://steemit.com/steemit/@lukestokes/flagging-someone-has-to-do-it">Flagging. Someone has to do it..</a>
* <a href="https://steemit.com/steemit/@lukestokes/the-steemit-usdusdusd-challenge-prove-to-yourself-why-you-are-here">Prove to yourself why you are here</a>
* <a href="https://steemit.com/peace/@lukestokes/nvc-violence-is-a-tragic-expression-of-an-unmet-need">Non Violent Communication</a>
<a href="https://steemit.com/steemit/@lukestokes/self-voting-scammy-behavior-rational-roi-or-something-else">Self Voting. Scammy Behavior, Rational ROI, or Something Else.</a>

<h3>Previous posts in this series:</h3>

* <h4><a href="https://steemit.com/newsteem/@mikepm74/support-those-working-to-expose-abuse-and-save-the-rewards-pool-part3-featuring-steemcleaners">Support those working to expose abuse and save the Rewards Pool. Part 1 with @paulag</a></h4>
* <h4><a href="https://steemit.com/steemit-help/@inquiringtimes/support-those-working-to-expose-abuse-and-save-the-rewards-pool-part2-featuring-sherlockholmes-and-paulag">Support those working to expose abuse and save the rewards pool. Part 2 with @sherlockholmes</a></h4>
* <h4><a href="https://steemit.com/newsteem/@mikepm74/support-those-working-to-expose-abuse-and-save-the-rewards-pool-part3-featuring-steemcleaners">Support those working to expose abuse and save the Rewards Pool. Part 3 with @steemcleaners</a></h4>

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<center>Thanks for reading "<em>The Inquiring Times</em>" by @newsteem</center>

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