If I voted this comment down, would you take that as supporting evidence that there are recently more downvotes than usual, or as evidence opposing that theory?
I would take it as evidence supporting my sense that there have been more downvotes than usual recently (or that you were just screwing with me). I asked a reasonable question regarding whether or not others had noticed more downvotes lately. Downvoting the comment signals that someone doesn’t want to see comments like it—not that they disagree with my impression.
(I personally think that downvoting to merely express disagreement is unwarranted except with comments that already have, say 6+ karma in which case a downvote is helpful to demonstrate that there is no consensus on the matter. To no one does −2 indicate that two people merely disagreed with the opinion in the comment. Downvoting someone who is stupidly, irrationally or wrong beyond the standards of LW is a different story.)
I just meant someone might find it funny to downvote a comment talking about how many downvotes they’ve seen- I wasn’t talking about you in particular.
If I voted this comment down, would you take that as supporting evidence that there are recently more downvotes than usual, or as evidence opposing that theory?
I would take it as evidence supporting my sense that there have been more downvotes than usual recently (or that you were just screwing with me). I asked a reasonable question regarding whether or not others had noticed more downvotes lately. Downvoting the comment signals that someone doesn’t want to see comments like it—not that they disagree with my impression.
(I personally think that downvoting to merely express disagreement is unwarranted except with comments that already have, say 6+ karma in which case a downvote is helpful to demonstrate that there is no consensus on the matter. To no one does −2 indicate that two people merely disagreed with the opinion in the comment. Downvoting someone who is stupidly, irrationally or wrong beyond the standards of LW is a different story.)
Of the 26 comments on your first page, I had upvoted five and downvoted none, including the parent and great grandparent of this comment.
If I disagreed enough with the great grandparent I might simply downvote it, which is why the situation is peculiar.
I just meant someone might find it funny to downvote a comment talking about how many downvotes they’ve seen- I wasn’t talking about you in particular.
I do think it’s funny so I wrote the comment instead of downvoting.