It's been following you everywhere and you didn't even know it! For days, weeks, maybe even months it's been there hiding the whole time watching your every move while you blogged.

It didn't make a sound when you blogged about that one thing... you know the thing I'm talking about.

It got in the car with you when you Lul'd about cats...
It followed you home when you up voted the cats...
It watched you eat that apple in the kitchen as you thought "Lul! Those damn cats! I love cats!"...
It even had the guts to follow you in the bathroom (that sick SOB)... and it watched you up vote another cat blog.

It Follows

The reputation score sort of reminds me of the horror movie "It Follows". I won't ruin the movie for you if you haven't seen it. Basically this "thing" is following people and trying to kill them. It doesn't think. It doesn't feel. It doesn't give up. It's constantly following them on foot no matter where they go or how far they travel. Eventually... it always finds them! Sound farmiliar? You can't get rid of the reputation system here on steemit. It's going to follow us all! But the good news is with time you can fix it.

Arithmophobia? Nah.

If the idea here is that other people can influence your reputation based on theirs and their vote it's best to start attracting some positive votes! I'm sure you've already cursed, cried, or gotten so pissed you ranted about it! Great! Now that you got that out of the way let's take a moment to stop and think about what your overall goal is: STEEM!!!

Lets take all that energy you have and transform it into some positive action.

First, try an appeal. If you feel you have been unfairly punished try to appeal the vote in the Slack or Rocket.Chat room.

Second, review your blogging strategy and reconsider your topics. If they seem to only attract negative attention you should probably try something else or maybe put a spin on the way you are addressing your audience. Regardless of your right to free speech actions have consequences regardless of making a valid point. If you don't want down votes don't incite people to do it!

Lastly, if none of these are the case and your infringements are based off of accidental code of conduct issues learn from them. If you can appeal them try that as well. Believe me a faux pas can happen to anyone. I've done it before. I know it sucks just learn from it and think before you reply.

My best advice is to deal with this now before it haunts like in "It Follows".

Make the positive changes or actions today and get your account issues resolved now*! As I've always said, if you want to reach your steem dream you have to keep blogging and steeming no matter what! Every day that you stop voting or blogging is just another day that passes by without any steem or steem dollars.

Stay positive and keep on steeming!

Erik