I'm starting to see some serious downsides to being able to see who downvotes you.

A few days ago I downvoted someone's comment, and the next day I happened to notice every single comment I've ever made had at least one downvote. All from the person I dared to downvote the ONE time. I straight up asked why they did it, and they seem to think I'm an "obvious" troll account that "apparently just exist to downvote other people". I assure you I'm no troll account, and ironically don't really downvote all that often.
I know the topic of public downvotes has been discussed before, but I never used to care either way. Now I'm kinda leaning in the "I don't like it" side. Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little offended, maybe even attacked. Also, there goes all my imaginary internet points. Lol
Has anyone else had something like this happen to them, or am I just unlucky?

Bizarroland,
@Bizarroland@kbin.social avatar

You should be able to block that user from interacting with you by simply clicking on their name and pressing the block button.

That will prevent them from downvoting future posts and if you have a negative interaction with somebody you can do that as many times as is needed to create the environment that you will enjoy participating in here.

Kolanaki,
@Kolanaki@yiffit.net avatar

Blocking people blocks their votes, and not just prevents you from seeing their posts?

Bizarroland,
@Bizarroland@kbin.social avatar

As far as I am aware, it prevents them from seeing or interacting with your account and prevents you from seeing or interacting with their account.

Kolanaki,
@Kolanaki@yiffit.net avatar

I know it doesn’t stop them from seeing you. They can still reply to you; you just won’t see it. So I’m not so sure it blocks their vote, either.

billothekid2,
@billothekid2@kbin.social avatar

I think this is correct.

BaroqueInMind,
@BaroqueInMind@kbin.social avatar

Name and shame, otherwise your post here is as worthless as the troll who spent the time and effort to troll you.

HarkMahlberg,
@HarkMahlberg@kbin.social avatar

It's... It's public info? Like that's his point lol. You can go to his user profile, find a couple of downvoted posts, and see who he's talking about.

KinNectar,
@KinNectar@kbin.run avatar

I for one would like to see a minimum ratio of upvotes to downvotes as a measure to mitigate abuse. That is to say you "earn" a down vote for each upvote you cast.

Additionally I think the ratio of downvotes to upvotes you give should be public on your profile, and an admin tool should be available to Magazine administrators to block voting, posting new threads, etc. Based on a user's vote ratio.

This is a behavioral problem with clear mechanical fixes.

FaceDeer,
@FaceDeer@kbin.social avatar

I don't see how that ratio thing could be enforced on a protocol like ActivityPub, it would be an instance-by-instance thing and people from instances that weren't enforcing it would be able to downvote however they liked.

There are instances that blocked downvoting entirely (beehaw.org, for example) but when I saw threads from there here on kbin.social there was plenty of downvoting on them from non-beehaw users. Only on beehaw.org would the threads be seen downvote-free and would users be prevented from downvoting on them.

bluGill,

Still a good idea, kbin doesn't need to use your downvotes as part of any algorithm if you are negative.

uphillbothways, (edited )
@uphillbothways@kbin.social avatar

I don't see an issue here.

  1. try to explain your downvotes, or, better yet, voice your disagreement and have a discussion without relying on downvotes to express yourself. Use your words.
  2. when you feel it necessary and that using your words isn't working, upvote/boost everyone but the person in question. Realize downvotes don't really do what you'd hoped and are a poor crutch and means of expression. Elevate what you do agree with. Worry less about what you don't.
  3. just don't care about internet points. As others have said and covered extensively.

Hopefully, what remains is that conversations are important. Having an outlet for undescribed/unformed/ambiguous disagreement/dissent really doesn't add anything to anything for anyone. Making a point or saying something correct is more valuable than shooting down those you find to be incorrect. And, ultimately, it's not just what you think that matters. The consensus of the group and the conversation that gets them there, the experience and the interchange and the community itself are all much more valuable than the destination of a single conversation.

Edit: (And, for the record, while I disagree with your assessment, I've boosted and upvoted your thread, because I think the conversations being had here are valuable and worth seeing by more people.)

livus,
@livus@kbin.social avatar

@billothekid2 honestly, it's not an uncommon phenomenon, it has nothing to do with seeing your downvotes.

Over the years on reddit, where votes are anonymous, I would sometimes notice all my comments being downvoted (usually after some kind of altercation, my favourite was the guy who singled me out for criticizing Margaret Thatcher... hardly a hot take).

In fact iirc reddit had to change its interface so that voting on comments from a person's profile page doesn't change their comment count.

Some people are just petty. I think it's better to at least know when it's happening so I can avoid that person.

magnetosphere,
@magnetosphere@kbin.social avatar

The same thing happened to me. The downvotes don’t bother me nearly as much as knowing that trolls can stalk us like that. It’s creepy. That’s the real issue.

Everyone telling you not to care about downvotes is missing the point.

canis_majoris,
@canis_majoris@lemmy.ca avatar

It doesn’t change the behavior if you can verify who did it or not. It literally doesn’t matter that you can see who downvoted you when it’s always been the case that anybody can go into your history and downvote all of it.

How are you going to call viewing a post history on the public facing internet “stalking”?

Jesus you guys play some gymnastics up in your domes.

magnetosphere,
@magnetosphere@kbin.social avatar

Looking at post histories isn’t stalking. That take would be a bit paranoid. Please don’t put words in my mouth.

Abusing someone’s post history to harass them is stalking, though.

canis_majoris,
@canis_majoris@lemmy.ca avatar

You make downvoting over and over sound like a cybercrime lol

magnetosphere,
@magnetosphere@kbin.social avatar

In your interpretation, maybe. I just think it’s obnoxious and rude to do it to all of someone’s comments. If someone genuinely disagrees with what I’ve posted, that’s not a problem.

livus,
@livus@kbin.social avatar

@magnetosphere but trolls stalk people anyway, I've had Downvote Fairies on reddit and kbin.

The kbin one wasn't even someone I'd downvoted.

magnetosphere,
@magnetosphere@kbin.social avatar

That’s even weirder. I’m sorry to hear that.

livus,
@livus@kbin.social avatar

@magnetosphere just the nature of the internet.

Sometimes people get weird bees in their bonnet. Personally I'd much rather know who it's coming from.

If I put a lot of effort into a comment or post and it gets downvoted by someone out of spite, I'd much rather know that's what happened than sit there wondering what's wrong with my post.

magnetosphere,
@magnetosphere@kbin.social avatar

Right? Leave me a comment telling me why you disagree! Maybe you have a point of view that I hadn’t considered. Maybe I got a fact wrong - I’d rather be corrected than keep on being wrong! I’m a big boy; I can take it.

Or, maybe I’m just being a jerk and all someone needs to do is talk some sense into me. By itself, a downvote doesn’t tell anyone anything. Reply! Talk to me!

livus,
@livus@kbin.social avatar

@magnetosphere this! I love it when someone points out stuff I haven't considered, especially if it turns out I'm wrong. Acknowleding that is the fastest way to actually turn it around and become right again.

OpenStars,
@OpenStars@kbin.social avatar

Man, I miss Reddit!

Said nobody here ever.:-) The average discussion experience here is just better, with people who care about facts rather than purely trolling.

livus,
@livus@kbin.social avatar

@OpenStars totally!

I originally only came here for something to do during the blackout, but it's just so much better here that I ended up never going back.

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