https://steemitimages.com/DQmXQUJqCrPpMawXshvuEB93baa5jP2xDuTgKLot6b66LTj/image.png

There have been a lot of posts about the use of flags recently. Many users feel that flags should only be used to counter abuse, while others see it as a valid means to affect the distribution of rewards in ways that they deem more favorable. 

The fact that "flags" and "downvotes" are combined into one function has been a large contributor to the problem. Many have called for a separation between the two, and I am in strong agreement. IMO, there should be separate 'flag' and 'downvote' functions built into the platform.

A new issue was opened in GitHub tonight by one of the Steemit developers (<a href="https://github.com/steemit/condenser/issues/1222">1222</a>) to change the "flag" icon back to "downvote". In addition, they mentioned plans for a non-consensus 'flagging' feature to be added once they implement communities. This is a big step in the right direction!

Here are the notes from the GitHub issue:
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRihUe5LyhFQQ8BNS262utvjyxBRgvcKjyqHKJ1aemwY9/image.png)

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This post is just a report on activity found in GitHub. There is no guarantee that this change will be implemented and put up onto the live site. Since it was opened by one of the devs in the Steemit dev team though, I do think it is likely to be implemented.

The top image is a Creative Commons CC0 image from https://pixabay.com/

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