I think most of these changes would reduce some of the backlash to downvotes. The UI element that counts them in particular I think makes people resent them more.

>If the logged in user has flagged a post, the mouseover will show that post with the red 'flagged' icon, so that the user can still tell if they have flagged the post:

It should be indicated no matter what if it's been **downvoted**. 

"Flag" on Steemit doesn't mean the same as "flag" on any other website ever. So it's misnamed according to the de facto definition of flag on the web. It's a poorly shoehorned concept on to what the blockchain still sees as a downvote.