(shrug) One person’s “ad-hoc mob rule” is another’s “collective self-moderation”.
For my own part, I endorse the collectively self-moderating aspect of LW, of which downvotes are an important aspect. Yes, it makes the community vulnerable to various forms of self-abuse. Eliminating it also makes the community vulnerable to various forms of self-abuse, which are not clearly superior, to say the least.
The idea that one could be severely punished for an action that didn’t violate any specific rule, but was merely something many in the community disagreed with, would be very chilling.
For my own part: I endorse people downvoting what they want to see less of on the site.
If Sam wants to see less of George posting on the site, it follows that I endorse Sam block-downvoting every one of George’s comments. I’m a little squeamish about that, and I would prefer that Sam had different preferences, but if it comes down to that I stand by the endorsement.
If I post something that many in the community disagree with, and those community members want to see less stuff they disagree with, I endorse those community members downvoting me. That I didn’t violate any specific rule is, to my mind, entirely irrelevant; I would prefer that our goal not be to encourage rule-compliance.
I do recognize that many people here use different downvoting metrics than that… e.g., downvote-what-I-disagree-with, downvote-what-I-oppose-socially, downvote-what-I-consider-overly-upvoted, downvote-things-that-evoke-negative-emotional-responses, various others. I don’t endorse those metrics, and I’d prefer they didn’t do that, but I acknowledge that interpreting karma behavior correctly requires recognizing that these people exist and do what they do.
Even leaving all of that aside, I also recognize that many people here have different preferences than I do regarding what kinds of things get said here, and consequently things get downvoted that I upvote, and things get upvoted that I downvote. This is as it should be, given things as they are.
I think you misunderstand. I approve of downvoting (and disapprove of certain ways of using it), but I disagree in the strongest possible terms with Dentin’s “I’d like to see a search done for the culprit, have them publicly exposed, and their account permanently locked or destroyed.”
(shrug) One person’s “ad-hoc mob rule” is another’s “collective self-moderation”.
For my own part, I endorse the collectively self-moderating aspect of LW, of which downvotes are an important aspect. Yes, it makes the community vulnerable to various forms of self-abuse. Eliminating it also makes the community vulnerable to various forms of self-abuse, which are not clearly superior, to say the least.
For my own part: I endorse people downvoting what they want to see less of on the site.
If Sam wants to see less of George posting on the site, it follows that I endorse Sam block-downvoting every one of George’s comments. I’m a little squeamish about that, and I would prefer that Sam had different preferences, but if it comes down to that I stand by the endorsement.
If I post something that many in the community disagree with, and those community members want to see less stuff they disagree with, I endorse those community members downvoting me. That I didn’t violate any specific rule is, to my mind, entirely irrelevant; I would prefer that our goal not be to encourage rule-compliance.
I do recognize that many people here use different downvoting metrics than that… e.g., downvote-what-I-disagree-with, downvote-what-I-oppose-socially, downvote-what-I-consider-overly-upvoted, downvote-things-that-evoke-negative-emotional-responses, various others. I don’t endorse those metrics, and I’d prefer they didn’t do that, but I acknowledge that interpreting karma behavior correctly requires recognizing that these people exist and do what they do.
Even leaving all of that aside, I also recognize that many people here have different preferences than I do regarding what kinds of things get said here, and consequently things get downvoted that I upvote, and things get upvoted that I downvote. This is as it should be, given things as they are.
I think you misunderstand. I approve of downvoting (and disapprove of certain ways of using it), but I disagree in the strongest possible terms with Dentin’s “I’d like to see a search done for the culprit, have them publicly exposed, and their account permanently locked or destroyed.”
Ah. Yes, I misunderstood. Sorry; thanks for clarifying.
Flamebait
If you’d expressed a thought in words, I’d respond to it in words.
Given that you’re tossing emotionally charged images around instead, I guess I’ll reply in kind.
I don’t see why communication has use words and nothing but words :-)
(shrug) You’re free to communicate using whatever media best express the thoughts you want to express. I will judge the result accordingly.
“Judge” is an interesting word to use here, but you are, of course, free to judge to your heart’s content.