Downvoting only in theory are discouraging any kind of behaviour. Downvoted users most of the time do not even know why there were dovnvoted.
It's a bit like saying that we should promote behaviours by punishing people, instead of educating them and building awareness.
It's polite to inform users as to why it's happening, but how could you enforce that?
Ok, so perhaps you can tell me what is "the same standard"? Perhaps all those people are right and you're wrong? Maybe you're not following standards? Why would you assume that what you do and how you think should be considered a norm? I would honestly like to understand.
If they are MY standards, how could I be wrong? Holding a stake is about influencing the standards. If I wanted even more influence, I would buy or earn more stake. You don't have to like it, but that is how proof-of-stake works.
...And downvotes that are discouraging users (especially new ones) to continue using Steemit are only bringing damage. Instead of bringing value.
What is your proposal? Often I see people complaining about the concept of downvotes, but they don't offer solutions. Is your solution to remove downvotes and enforce centralized rules? That being the case, perhaps you just chose the wrong platform. I ask the same to of all of these people who cannot handle decentralized governance, the vast majority of which have been milking and abusing the system for a long time. Shitty users are in fact not an asset, they are a liability. As I said, the honest folks aren't crying about downvotes, only the ones trying to work an angle.
As long as you continue to view this endeavor through the lens of the existing centralized / authoritarian platforms, of course you are going to respond in such a way. It's all you know. Those who own the stake make the rules, that's the reality. I have more than most, but I'm still a small fish. If I wanted to have more influence, I'd buy more stake. As an entrepreneur, you could fund raise right now and buy 1 million steem for 130k, and have a lot more influence on how things are run. Be honest, how strong are your convictions?