I don't think there is really a goal to votes/downvotes other than democratizing the content that people want to see (see: digg.com's genesis) If people wanted

I don't think there is really a goal to votes/downvotes other than democratizing the content that people want to see (see: digg.com's genesis) If people wanted to leave a comment then they would, but forcing one is going to incentivize drive-by quick "dunks," so that they can hit whatever minimum text limit that is set, and then move on. If you say something factually wrong but honest (in terms of arguing in good faith), I've found that you usually get a lot of replies on popular topics with people correcting your mistake. If you get drive-by downvotes but minimal replies, it usually means you are not on the same page as the rest of the users you share the site with, or you've made a comment that is a hot mess (or very off topic).