3 ms·

You have been here for a couple of years, surely you have noticed downvotes don't always make sense.

bryanrasmussen 6y ago
sure, but I suppose it makes sense to the person making the downvote. And when it makes especially poor sense to me I start to think - maybe they see something I don't? on edit: I do sometimes also get paranoid and think, man there is just someone who doesn't like me and automatically downvote when they run across my name!
- agurk 6y ago
  Particularly when there's a case of a single downvote, it's worth remembering that it's easy to click the wrong button here - especially on mobile. I make a habit of checking the command has changed to "unvote" or "undown" correctly to verify I voted how I wanted to. I've also hit voting arrows a lot whilst scrolling (on mobile) and must not have caught that every single time.
- rl3 6y ago
  >I do sometimes also get paranoid and think, man there is just someone who doesn't like me and automatically downvote when they run across my name! It certainly can feel like that sometimes. I rarely enjoy posting here anymore as a result. The fact a single downvote can inhibit your comment's visibility and negatively bias its progression is silly. The unsettling part is it feels like there's very little stopping individuals and organizations from weaponizing that dynamic. Anything from targeted sustained psychological distress to censorship is possible with the current scheme.
epr 6y ago
Seriously. I've actually gotten into the habit of compulsively upvoting anything that has been downvoted unless someone is really out of line, even if I disagree with an opinion they're expressing.
- bayindirh 6y ago
  Same here. Unless it's something intentionally offensive or trollish, I don't downvote anyone. Including opinions I don't agree with. If it's something I disagree, and worth discussing, I set aside five minutes to write a good reply instead. I think it's much more constructive.

sure, but I suppose it makes sense to the person making the downvote. And when it makes especially poor sense to me I start to think - maybe they see something I don't? on edit: I do sometimes also get paranoid and think, man there is just someone who doesn't like me and automatically downvote when they run across my name!

agurk 6y ago
Particularly when there's a case of a single downvote, it's worth remembering that it's easy to click the wrong button here - especially on mobile. I make a habit of checking the command has changed to "unvote" or "undown" correctly to verify I voted how I wanted to. I've also hit voting arrows a lot whilst scrolling (on mobile) and must not have caught that every single time.
rl3 6y ago
>I do sometimes also get paranoid and think, man there is just someone who doesn't like me and automatically downvote when they run across my name! It certainly can feel like that sometimes. I rarely enjoy posting here anymore as a result. The fact a single downvote can inhibit your comment's visibility and negatively bias its progression is silly. The unsettling part is it feels like there's very little stopping individuals and organizations from weaponizing that dynamic. Anything from targeted sustained psychological distress to censorship is possible with the current scheme.

epr 6y ago

Seriously. I've actually gotten into the habit of compulsively upvoting anything that has been downvoted unless someone is really out of line, even if I disagree with an opinion they're expressing.

bayindirh 6y ago
Same here. Unless it's something intentionally offensive or trollish, I don't downvote anyone. Including opinions I don't agree with. If it's something I disagree, and worth discussing, I set aside five minutes to write a good reply instead. I think it's much more constructive.