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I think one could argue that having downvote functionality at all is counterproductive. What exactly is gained by downvoting posts versus the undeniable censors
by nutjob2 6y ago
I think one could argue that having downvote functionality at all is counterproductive. What exactly is gained by downvoting posts versus the undeniable censorship of dissenting views and enabling personal grievances and biases?
"I don't know why you were downvoted" seems to be HN's unofficial motto.
- Roboprog 6y agoYou keep that up, and you’ll be hell banned next. I hear you, but I don’t pay for this toy, and the owner(s) run it as they see fit. I do agree with you though that I dislike down voting.
- briefcomment 6y agoDownvoting is essentially denying someone the chance to have their voice be heard. If it's something egregiously bad, flag it. If you simply don't agree with the statement, leave a comment to hash it out. We want all information that's not outright wrong or uncalled for so we can get to the best understanding. Downvoting hides viewpoints and makes us work with less information. It also powerfully biases people against a viewpoint, often unjustifiably. Downvoting would be fine if we all always used strong reasoning in good faith. I don't think that happens for most downvotes.
- Fjolsvith 6y agoDownvote mechanism discussed: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22794857 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22794857