Yesterday I posted a piece on gratitude and positivity. A little later, @ginabot informed me that someone had downvoted the post.
Hmm @bestwebmaster, what got you worked up I wonder, what was so offensive or controversial? Let me check your profile on steemit and your profile on steemd to see if I can get any clues:
The following information is revealed:
- this is a brand-new account, only one day old
- @bestwebmaster has not blogged or commented yet, nor have they received any replies
- the name on the home page is BotAntiTrolls
- the description on the home page says: Flagging the abusers and their fans!! You want to know why you are flagged?
- 'location' is Steemit anti trolls
- @bestwebmaster follows 5 accounts (4 of which are resteem services) and is followed by 10, none of whom I recognise or have had interactions with
- on steemd, the only activity of this account is to downvote, the last of which was 10 hours ago. The account voting power is currently down to less than 17% (oops 😱)
The account has a reputation of 25 and very little SP. Thus there is no real damage done through the downvote, but the situation is interesting.
@bestwebmaster declares on their banner "Flagging the abusers and their fans!! You want to know why you are flagged?" - well yes indeed I do @bestwebmaster and that is why I am writing this post :D.
If I were to speculate, I would think the following scenario possible/probable: A Steemian has become pissed off at a user/number of users and has created or commissioned a bot to downvote a list of these users and their 'fans' (followers).
The terms abuse and trolling can easily be used subjectively and irrespective of fact.
I do not see how abuse could apply to any action of @barge on steemit, assuming this refers bot or self-voting 'abuse'. I have on occasion challenged the viewpoint of a post, but this has been done relatively softly IMO, see for yourself 😌.
Regarding trolling, there are two occasions when I have intervened in a conversation in a manner that might, at a stretch, be considered the activity of a troll. The first one was decidedly trollish, but unlikely to have resulted in such a response as described here. The second instance however, concerns the Truth Troll and a conversation that I butted-in on after reading this post of his. It may be possible that this is a backlash from there. As stated, this paragraph is my best-guess speculation as it describes the only possible connection between my activity on Steemit, and this downvote that I can think of. It would be telling indeed if the Truth Troll had also been downvoted by @bestwebmaster, but TT has not had any activity for a couple of weeks, longer than this account has been around.
I am unable to query the blockchain in a manner that might reveal more about this, but I am rather intrigued and would be delighted if someone can be bothered to delve a little further. It may be random bot activity and nothing to do with my wild and dramatic speculations of course! @abh12345, as the one skilled and approachable person I know, would you consider this at your convenience?
Finally, a word of gratitude and positivity in the direction of @bestwebmaster (or his/her human master :), for we have made a connection through this uncertain and crazy tangent of words and possible hurt feelings (not mine, I don't take the downvote to heart). Thank you BotAntiTrolls for enabling me to publish a kind of post on the blockchain that I have never before attempted. And of course, thank you for taking my downvote virginity, I hope it was as good for you as it has been for me!
🚣
Edit: I just came across a post by @pirateofthedtube which discusses the 'Steemit Defense League' in which this appears: "As many of you know, there is a guy who basically decided to rip Steemit apart by creating 70+ accounts and downvoting tons of, at times random, people." Interesting, there seems to be a discussion of this going already and the post links to other articles which I am about to read...
Edit 2: Ok, I see a post by @themarkymark from a month ago which details the end of the Steemit Defense League. Also another very recent post by @guiltyparties which talks about the Flag Ring, in which the SDL reappear.
Hmmm maybe they're back again!
FINAL Edit: Yes it seems to be the case that I was Struck By A Smooth Criminal (to continue the vague 80s music theme :) of the infamous Steemit Defense League. @bestwebmaster seems to fit the pattern and the discussion on the Flag Ring appears to confirm this. I will know if @guiltyparties adds this account to the 'SDL' list.
[Update]: 
Therefore @abh12345, dunno if there's a need to delve any further, but thank you anyway 🔆 . As for my wild and dramatic speculations, at least I didn't point any direct fingers, and I guess the linked comments and discussions do hold some entertainment value for the curious reader 😂 .