if you feel the need to deploy "defense" against downvotes, you are either saying things that don't need to be said, or you are being needlessly defensive and t

if you feel the need to deploy "defense" against downvotes, you are either saying things that don't need to be said, or you are being needlessly defensive and thereby undermining your own point. The problem is that the majority of the voting community on HN tends to think a certain way. When I first joined, I went through several spurts of "why did I get downvoted for this?" I wasn't trolling, and I was being constructive. However, my opinions differed greatly on those subjects. I haven't really been downvoted much recently, and I'm pretty sure it's because I'm subconsciously conforming to the culture/groupthink. If you want a specific example: just about anything in favor of increased government control will result in downvotes, regardless of the arguments presented. You could win a policy debate with a given argument, and still have it down voted here because people don't agree with it.