I'm only okay with someone posted a useless (thanks, cool story bro...) option if it's actually encouraging a better community. I suspect this sort of reasoning is why communities often tank - assholes. Assholes who are tempted by the idea of casting judgement. In that sense, it's a disservice because it encourages an emotional behaviour over a rational one.
Poll: I disagree with you, is it ok to downvote you?
11–20 of 63 posts
Re: Poll: I disagree with you, is it ok to downvote you?
#12I like the reason "This doesn't add to the conversation."
Why downvote if it doesn't detract from the conversation?
My rule of thumb is to upvote if the comment is insightful or has information I find useful. Downvote if it seems blatantly incorrect, mean, overly negative or is actively trying to make the conversation worse. Otherwise I just ignore it.
Re: Poll: I disagree with you, is it ok to downvote you?
#13How about "It's really small and right next to the upvote button and there's no way to take it back if you fat-finger it"?
Re: Poll: I disagree with you, is it ok to downvote you?
#14Does B include people who are factually incorrect and easily proven wrong with a simple intuitive Google search?
Eg they misrepresented a fact, not presented a dissenting opinion.
To me it does, and I downvote that.
Re: Poll: I disagree with you, is it ok to downvote you?
#15[deleted]
Re: Poll: I disagree with you, is it ok to downvote you?
#16There are no rules. However, downvoting based on disagreement lowers the quality of the conversation. Please don't do it.
Re: Poll: I disagree with you, is it ok to downvote you?
#17I don't use the down vote button (across the Internet). OTOH, I always ensure that I up vote good quality comments which add new perspective or insights to a discussion (even if they do not match with mine).
Re: Poll: I disagree with you, is it ok to downvote you?
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
'E) I think someone said something factually incorrect' Of course, one should reply with a correction, but in reality, maybe that's not always what happens.
If a comment really is factually incorrect then a downvote is appropriate, but some comments that at first glance appear to be factually incorrect are really just opinions.
I'm continually downvoted on HN because I disagree with most on here on things related to copyright.
It is becoming pretty annoying, mainly because HN is becoming more like /r/politics (NSA, government, big business are all evil), rather than talking about cool hacker tech.
Re: Poll: I disagree with you, is it ok to downvote you?
#19I draw a distinction between a person saying something I disagree with, ("I think variable foo should be 35%, not 34%") and a person being outrageously, astonishingly wrong. ("Solar roadways are a good idea." "Instagram is worth one billion dollars.")
Re: Poll: I disagree with you, is it ok to downvote you?
#20E) posts with claims that are that are provably false