RE: Why do some authors think that cussing adds value. Or why don't we have a real down vote?
It would be more polite to simply mute the users whose language you don't want to see. I don't care about it, so I wouldn't do this. An interface feature could do your censorship for you as well, maybe even you could make it fun by having a user defined badwords list, and you could make it change words like 'anarchy' into some word you prefer it to show you. Or 'Trump' could be changed into 'Drumpf' and Hillary into 'Hitlery'! I would want one that makes 'democracy' turn into 'mob rule'... and "Election" into "Erection". Blame my friend @voluntary for putting that into my vocabulary.
A simple checkbox could enable 'badword' filtering, or substitution (to stars, or whatever you like), indeed perhaps it would make sense if this was checked by default for new accounts so it has to be consciously, manually disabled if like me it doesn't bother you.
The features that will facilitate serious or more casual 'conversation' are coming, by the way. There will be groups, and an integrated chat system, better than the rocketchat. I am writing an application that potentially could have plugins added that implement all kinds of features that probably will end up in the web page if they are popular and highly demanded.
The developer party for adding value added features is just starting. I am proud to say that I have been part of bringing this on. I think solving issues is only part of the equation. Adding more features that boost engagement are on my agenda too, and your post with its 'issues' suggest such engagement and amusement features. Just because Steem is fundamentally a corporate messaging system with attached currency and investment instruments, doesn't mean that it will not have plenty of amusing features.
Does muting tell the muted person that he was muted? A down vote (from one like me wioth little or no power) would not change his rewards, but it might give him an idea that some few don't like the gutter talk, and it might cause him to soften his language going forward.
Many years ago I was reading a book or article (I forget which) in which the well respected author (he was a computer scientist) said that the most predictive measure of a person's future success was his mastery of his native language. Expletives rarely show mastery.
I don't think I am in favor of most of the processes you propose to avoid a real down vote mechanism. I still think that the down vote (not a flag) would be a gentle indication that there were aspects of the post that at least som found undesireable.
Finally, I am not requesting that a person be drawn and quartered, and I see no need to be overly polite to a person that, in effect comes into my house and uses a superfulity of distasteful expletives.
No, muting is not visible outside the web interface, it is not recorded on the blockchain. I don't know how much study of sociology, or for that matter, direct experience at how powerful shunning is, that you have. It's not an instant win like a punch in the face. A few weeks go by, and this individual is also shunned by others, and they start to mend their ways, or scarper off to greener victim-pastures.
Swearing neither affirms nor diminishes the linguistic skill.
You can advocate freely towards punitive measures against social abuse behaviours as much as you like. I am just telling you, as a long time victim of this, that the most effective tactic is shunning.
The thing that you clearly don't understand is that these kinds of lowlife are all about getting attention. It's not about you, it's not about pushing you down, but rather the relative position change that they cause when you act like an idiot and get upset. Buddhism is a religion where this lesson is widely taught, and look at Asia. Why do you think asians are so well mannered and humble? Because it benefits society more to just look straight past these pigs, and ultimately, become so oblivious to them it is as though they don't exist. This forces them to adopt honest tactics of acquiring attention.
I will concede that your knowledge of these things exceeds mine, and I think I will reconsider using a downvote as an enforcing mechanism for political correctness. Nevertheless, I still think that having a real downvote capability would be useful in some contexts (although I can't bring one to mind on demand ;-)