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lobste.rs does this pretty well, they require you to select one of the provided reasons for downvoting a comment. It gives direct feedback to the commenter as t

lobste.rs does this pretty well, they require you to select one of the provided reasons for downvoting a comment. It gives direct feedback to the commenter as to why their comment was downvoted. The HN and reddit policy is, intentionally or not, "downvote if you disagree." Without any direct feedback mechanism, it will stay that way.

tptacek 8y ago
On HN, it's intentional. That is in fact the policy. It didn't just happen; it was a decision.
- afiori 8y ago
  still a simple checkbox with a few well chosen reasons would be valuable. At the very least it would make you actually think of why you choose to downvote that specific comment. There are many nuances of disagreement, some deserving a downvote some not.
  - pvg 8y ago
    It's not going to be valuable. Would a simple checkbox with a few well-chosen reasons be valuable for upvotes? The difference isn't nuance or opportunity for self-improvement, it's just that getting downvoted feels bad and getting upvoted doesn't.
    - tabtab 8y ago
      Whether it's "logical" in a universal sense is debatable, but removing a common known frustration of users is usually a good thing regardless. If purple walls anger your customers, then repaint them rather than argue that purple is logically better.
      - pvg 8y ago
        I didn't say it was 'logical' nor did I say dealing reducing user frustration is bad. Trying to address user frustration in this specific way is ill-considered and bad.
greglindahl 8y ago
Direct feedback on HN is to leave a reply. When there's a lot of poison floating around a discussion, it doesn't work, but in many pleasant HN discussions it seems to work OK.
wtmt 8y ago
Tangentially, joining lobste.rs is a pain. I once hung around on chat asking for an invite and then gave up. HN on the other hand makes signing up just a matter of seconds, and also has a better breadth of content (because it doesn't make one jump through hoops to sign up). Given this context, the choice between a site where downvoting with a reason is available and a site where downvoting doesn't provide anything more is quite clear at least to me.
- _emacsomancer_ 8y ago
  HN also uses a more interesting language (Arc) [lobste.rs uses Ruby, I think]. Though lobste.rs has a different feel, because it's not as big.

tptacek 8y ago

On HN, it's intentional. That is in fact the policy. It didn't just happen; it was a decision.

afiori 8y ago
still a simple checkbox with a few well chosen reasons would be valuable. At the very least it would make you actually think of why you choose to downvote that specific comment. There are many nuances of disagreement, some deserving a downvote some not.
- pvg 8y ago
  It's not going to be valuable. Would a simple checkbox with a few well-chosen reasons be valuable for upvotes? The difference isn't nuance or opportunity for self-improvement, it's just that getting downvoted feels bad and getting upvoted doesn't.
  - tabtab 8y ago
    Whether it's "logical" in a universal sense is debatable, but removing a common known frustration of users is usually a good thing regardless. If purple walls anger your customers, then repaint them rather than argue that purple is logically better.
    - pvg 8y ago
      I didn't say it was 'logical' nor did I say dealing reducing user frustration is bad. Trying to address user frustration in this specific way is ill-considered and bad.

greglindahl 8y ago

Direct feedback on HN is to leave a reply. When there's a lot of poison floating around a discussion, it doesn't work, but in many pleasant HN discussions it seems to work OK.

wtmt 8y ago

Tangentially, joining lobste.rs is a pain. I once hung around on chat asking for an invite and then gave up. HN on the other hand makes signing up just a matter of seconds, and also has a better breadth of content (because it doesn't make one jump through hoops to sign up). Given this context, the choice between a site where downvoting with a reason is available and a site where downvoting doesn't provide anything more is quite clear at least to me.

_emacsomancer_ 8y ago
HN also uses a more interesting language (Arc) [lobste.rs uses Ruby, I think]. Though lobste.rs has a different feel, because it's not as big.