IAWYC, and I’ll start downvoting comments more. I’ve been hesitating because I’m reluctant to hurt peoples’ feelings, to make participation a net downer instead of a net mood-lifter (because people are supposed to be more saddened by losses than they are boosted by gains), and to discourage participation from new users who might, if they hang around, long-term add to the community. But now that you point it out, yes, quality dilution is a bigger risk.
Is it worth trying to reduce the negative side-effects of downvoting that were making me hesitate, e.g. by placing signs everywhere that you should expect your comments to have an average score around zero and shouldn’t be discouraged or feel you ought not participate if your comments are voted down, or by causing people to gain karma for comments even when those comments are not up-voted? I’m honestly not sure.
Part of the community’s hesitation to down-vote may be caused by your posts on how we shouldn’t be so afraid of cooperating and expressing approval. It might be worth clarifying how to be a warm, accepting community and have quality standards. I’m sure there are ways this can work, but I don’t have a detailed picture of what they look like and how to help toward them.
Is it worth trying to reduce the negative side-effects of downvoting that were making me hesitate,
Absolutely—that’s one reason a lot of people are looking for a good ‘about’ page or FAQ that clearly explains things like voting and karma. But we need to decide definitively what voting is for before we can explain it to everyone.
IAWYC, and I’ll start downvoting comments more. I’ve been hesitating because I’m reluctant to hurt peoples’ feelings, to make participation a net downer instead of a net mood-lifter (because people are supposed to be more saddened by losses than they are boosted by gains), and to discourage participation from new users who might, if they hang around, long-term add to the community. But now that you point it out, yes, quality dilution is a bigger risk.
Is it worth trying to reduce the negative side-effects of downvoting that were making me hesitate, e.g. by placing signs everywhere that you should expect your comments to have an average score around zero and shouldn’t be discouraged or feel you ought not participate if your comments are voted down, or by causing people to gain karma for comments even when those comments are not up-voted? I’m honestly not sure.
Part of the community’s hesitation to down-vote may be caused by your posts on how we shouldn’t be so afraid of cooperating and expressing approval. It might be worth clarifying how to be a warm, accepting community and have quality standards. I’m sure there are ways this can work, but I don’t have a detailed picture of what they look like and how to help toward them.
Absolutely—that’s one reason a lot of people are looking for a good ‘about’ page or FAQ that clearly explains things like voting and karma. But we need to decide definitively what voting is for before we can explain it to everyone.