Remove downvoting?
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Greetings, everyone!
Lately, there has been a surge of drama surrounding the downvote system. I've received several dms asking me to consider disabling the downvoting feature. I would like to gather your votes and opinions on whether we should retain or remove the downvote system. The final decision rests in your hands.
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S SpookyVersace pinned this topic on
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What I can also do is set a limit to max 1 downvote per day and make it only available to people with higher rep. What do yall think?
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@SpookyVersace That's a nice idea.
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Getting rid of downvoting sounds good as it gets rid of the tension and lowers the amount of drama that happens because of it. I still see where it would be useful to have it as it makes you aware of individuals who you may wish to watch out for as they may be known to be less savoury or something like that. However I do see where downvoting can cause drama or creates tension on the forums as some people like to have a good reputation and some people tend to misuse the downvote. Not speaking for everyone just my opinion. Getting rid of the downvote seems like a good idea for the sake of less drama.
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@SpookyVersace It might be nice to give the ability to certain individuals who you know and trust will be fair about it as it can still have its uses. I'm interested to see what others think as this sounds like it could be a good idea so long as the people that are given this ability go about it the right way as I'm sure they will.
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Yeah i don't think 1 per day for certain Rep would hurt at all . But then again would it stack or stay 1 per day even if u don't use it ?. DownVotes are not bad only when using them wrong.
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sounds nice, but yet, i think it should be deleted especially for the drama and problems outgoing. people can still make alts and do that with the limit 1 downvote per day.
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@liliththatcat Ye but that would need them to grind alot of rep first ? if its only for higher reps so to make alts and post alot of stuff just to do 1 down vote i don't think people would do that effort.
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@AviCreat Some people like to target downvote so adding 1 downvote per day will help with this issue, and I also noticed that quite a few accounts with low reputation or brand new accounts were doing downvoting so setting a rep requirement to downvote will help with this. I've deleted around 40 accounts, and I've given warnings to a few people behind these accounts.
I'm still on the hunt to track down those who created these alt accounts just for the purpose of manipulating the upvotes and downvotes. Honestly, I don't really care about how much reputation you've built up or how much you're contributing. But let me tell you, if I catch anyone misusing the system, things won't be looking too good. So let's keep it fair.
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S SpookyVersace referenced this topic on
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@Misu yea, sounds fair, i agree
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@liliththatcat I would make it so only people with 50 rep or higher can downvote.
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@SpookyVersace yea, that is very good idea. thank u for trying the forum keep in peace.
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@SpookyVersace Good : )
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Getting downvoted truly make people depress, espcially when they are trying to sharing things. a rep limitation on downvote sounds good enough for me (I vote for disable it but I feel it's okay to keep it with limitations too.)
Random thought, if we do and only limit the number of downvote per day, maybe it's better to let people see the number of upvote and downvote separately?
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@SpookyVersace I agree with you there!
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*While there's many reasons for getting rid of it, we should be aware of the positives of having them around:
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Quality Control: The primary reason for having a downvote feature is to ensure content quality. By allowing users to downvote, you empower the community to collectively filter out irrelevant, misleading, or low-quality comments. This helps new or casual visitors quickly identify the most valuable feedback or insights.
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Feedback Mechanism: Downvotes serve as a non-verbal feedback mechanism. Sometimes, a comment might be factually incorrect, misleading, or not constructively framed. Downvoting such comments sends a clear message to the original poster about the community's perception of the content, encouraging them to either clarify, modify, or delete their comment.
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Balance and Fairness: An upvote-only system could lead to an artificially positive environment where only agreement is visible. The presence of downvotes provides balance. Seeing both upvotes and downvotes can offer a more holistic view of the community's perspective on any given comment.
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Deterrence against Trolling or Spam: Knowing that inappropriate or off-topic comments can be downvoted can deter users from posting such content in the first place. A system where only upvotes are allowed might not discourage trolling or spam as effectively.
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Encourages Thoughtful Participation: Knowing that a comment can be both upvoted and downvoted often encourages users to think more critically before posting. They are more likely to ensure their comments are meaningful, relevant, and constructive.
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Community Self-regulation: Downvoting allows the community to self-regulate. This reduces the burden on moderators or administrators, as harmful or irrelevant content can be pushed down by the community itself before official actions are needed.
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Engagement: While it's essential to ensure the downvote feature isn't abused, the act of downvoting can increase user engagement. Users feel empowered when they have tools to express both agreement and disagreement.
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Democracy in Action: Just as upvotes are a form of agreement, downvotes are a form of disagreement. By allowing both, you're giving everyone an equal voice, irrespective of their opinion, creating a more democratic environment.
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Contextual Understanding: Sometimes, comments can be controversial. Having a blend of upvotes and downvotes on such comments can help new users understand the nuances or divisiveness of the subject, leading to a deeper understanding of the topic at hand.
*Personally I'm against getting rid of them, as we've seen the downsides when Youtube decided to cut their dislike feature. But I also understand that it's essential to ensure it's used responsibly. Measures can be put in place to prevent misuse, such as limiting the number of downvotes a user can give in a specific timeframe.
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We will keep this up for a few days. If it's a close vote I will keep the downvoting active but limit it.
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Well, I think downvotes and upvotes are a helpful tool, but at the same time they can also affect the overall bonding of a community. For example, I wanted to upvote a post and couldn't because some random person downvoted my post without reason. While I understand that the system is supposed to allow people to let others know if a post is good or not, it can be really demotivating for the person who received a downgrade, especially if you want to upvote a post that someone else wrote and can't because someone pretty much destroyed the ability to do so. I don't think the whole system needs to be scrapped, but it would be helpful to be able to give someone an upvote even if they have a negative reputation.
