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Ask HN: Why would you downvote without replying?

6 points

1 hour ago

| 3 comments

Or rather, why is downvoting without replying even allowed on HN (which is supposed to be a place for discussion and enlightenment)? The real life equivalent of this is yelling "boo", and then refusing to elaborate. This is a horrible thing invented by social media: it incentivizes people to behave like booing monkeys rather than intelligent humans that communicate using language. Can we change this on HN?

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aeonfox

1 hour ago

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I'm inclined to agree. But occasionally, someone is so dead set on talking past every point made and or is just posting flame-bait. Engaging with them doesn't help.

I think at least one chance for them to clarify their position, or genuinely answer to critique should be given. If it's clear that it's just a drive-by low-effort comment, or if they just have an axe to grind, only then should they be downvoted. If they are serial offenders, they typically get shadow-banned.

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accrual

1 hour ago

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I would like to hear others' opinions as well. I guess for me it's a simple mechanism shared with many other social sites. A series of downvotes without explanation demonstrates the zeitgeist disapproves. Maybe the reason why is obvious, maybe it's not and thus deserves elaboration for the sake of everyone reviewing.

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DrierCycle

10 minutes ago

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As our species looks pretty ill fitted in its niche these days, the zeitgeist is usually about preserving paradoxes at all costs to keep status quo. And that's reflected here pretty strongly. Much of what's come out of SV appeared at one time beneficial, and now it looks like the industry has shifted to dystopian. The zeitgeist that enforces that may be lost.

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Tadpole9181

51 minutes ago

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Not everyone is discussing in good faith, just because it's "enlightened" HN. And just because I have an opinion doesn't mean I want to argue with them endlessly. Accounts are free and require no credentials, we get bots and Nazis and fools like anywhere else.

However, I disagree with you on a second point. If you comment, don't downvote at all. Your words make your opinions known and downvoting feels both disrespectful to your conversational partner and arrogant. Like voting for yourself for prom king.