What makes you downvote threads?

[PedaI]

I downvote a thread if:
-I actually dislike the topic.
-If the topic is misplaced.
-If I dislike the user, only a couple of people who I vote based on this reason though.
-And whatever reason else.

Also: No, I don't care if my reasons are "good" or if you agree with me~

[Vampurrrrr]

Voievoda

I don't down vote. Sometimes upvoting occurs. Usually, if I'm asked to or if the topic is just too fabulous and deserves it emotion_kirakira .
But mostly I still think it's a ridiculously stupid and un-needed feature. Tipping, on the other hand.... emotion_dowant

@those down-voting misplaced threads: Can't you just report them instead? I'd rather seem them gone.

❝I don't downvote misplaced threads.
I just report them.

Sometimes if it's a new user, I will also message them and tell them why it was misplaced,
and give them a quick run-through of the forums.
I think if it's a new user, down voting them won't help them figure out the forums XD❞

[esotericbb]

I don't usually downvote.

However, when it's a controversial topic and only one (most often follows no logic anyways) perspective is being presented as if it is the only one is when I really downvote. It is when they ask you to discuss the topic and then get pissed when you actually do. Whats the point of posting in a discuss forum when you can't actually discuss without being ridiculed.. rofl

Non-logical posts that just... don't make sense, we've all seen them. We all hate them.

[Kafka]

Voievoda

@those down-voting misplaced threads: Can't you just report them instead? I'd rather seem them gone.

This. gonk I'm still sort of in disbelief that people actually do this. rofl It's lazy, pure and simple. Mods aren't going to patrol the likes/dislikes to move things. razz It's only a click or two more to report so why not just do it?


I pretty much don't use the like/dislike feature. To me it serves no purpose. And it just seems like downvoting is for the passive aggressive and lazy. Now, I'm pretty lazy. xd But ehh, I guess I don't see the point of using a site feature to troll people.

[Jackalust]

I only downvote things that mention downvotes or upvotes.

I figure if you care, the least i could do is spite you.

[VlXX]

I downvote threads that are just ridiculous

[Yilanti Midnight]

If I disagree with the OPs idea or if the idea is being presented in a really bad way (aka being rude to anyone who disagrees or attempts to say how it could be done), I will downvote.

[Voat]

Himemiya Neko

The Drunken Jester

❝Personally I don't care if my thread gets downvoted, upvoted or anything.
It's just a feature there that I can choose to use or not.

Though I did do a quick search of this, and nothing popped up for me, which is why I made it.
Otherwise, I never make a topic that has already been made :3

And I was genuinely just curious, as I have seen a lot of discussion threads downvoted, and I did not get the reason why.❞

it's a hate/dislike-button sometimes.

people </3 for stupid reasons. sometimes they </3 just because they know it might bother the OP, which I'm guessing is why people </3 quest threads (e.g. what Jacklust above said...which dude, is really petty).

some people </3 just to troll or break the pattern of <3s

there was this thread in SF with like 80+ <3s and no </3...and i was like rooting for it to reach 100 without a single </3, and it did. but soon after someone gave it a </3 xd guess they couldn't resist lol

there is really no one meaning behind <3/</3 so it's hard to judge what it means

for a lot of topic-makers it's a really useless feature. and like Jester I also believe it discourages discussion. it used to be that if you wanted your sentiment known, you posted. but now you can just click a button, like with tipping. it's the lazy man's way out of giving someone your opinion/response. even if your opinion has been said already, the OP would still like to hear it! that's what i think

[Crachiek]

The Drunken Jester

I get the feeling this is just a question you want to ask and not really a 'discussion'.... Mostly because this particular type of thread had been coming up a lot.

My general view of the voting structure is that because Gaia is a forum and is supposed to be about discussing things the voting thing is completely pointless.

It is the antithesis of discussion.
If you agree with a thread topic you like it and go on your merry way without posting, if you don't like it you downvote it and it's the same.
The only real purpose of it is to be more like facebook.

Also it's a very convenient way to troll people and that pisses me off too. Gaia shouldn't be making life easier for the trolls.

That being said I DO use the voting feature all the time. So everything I've said is pretty darn hypocritical.
I downvote trolls and misplaced threads and I upvote all my friends topics and the topics I enjoyed.

Existential Existence

for a lot of topic-makers it's a really useless feature. and like Jester I also believe it discourages discussion. it used to be that if you wanted your sentiment known, you posted. but now you can just click a button, like with tipping. it's the lazy man's way out of giving someone your opinion/response. even if your opinion has been said already, the OP would still like to hear it! that's what i think

Using the vote system discourages discussion, yes, which is exactly why I downvote certain things in the first place. If the thread is a pointless ploy for attention on the part of the OP, I downvote. It keeps the thread from getting bumped and casually expresses dislike without giving the OP something to spark an "omg ew u troll" conversation when I disagree with their notion that their thread has a purpose. It's a much cleaner system for certain types of disagreement.

That being said, if there's discussion to be had, then I never use the system. I do like to argue and I'll bring contrary posts into threads with my face on them so the other person is given due chance to respond. Likewise, I want users to know I put in more effort than a click when I like what they have to say.

[Suiko]

I used to not care. Now if I see a newbie's thread being downvoted I upvote it, don't know why

Does the voting system even do anything?

[Ping of Death]

I only downvote threads if I disagree completely with the OP. Most of the time I 'upvote' the threads I visit.

[Sulken Shoe]

I tend to avoid voting. It seems like a lazy way to agree or disagree with a certain discussion point without actually giving your own input.
Hoever, if I were to downvote, it would be for crude threads that are just there to attack or bully someone. Still, there is the report button for that...

[Rachael Aryn]

Diavolica

Voievoda

@those down-voting misplaced threads: Can't you just report them instead? I'd rather seem them gone.

This. gonk I'm still sort of in disbelief that people actually do this. rofl It's lazy, pure and simple. Mods aren't going to patrol the likes/dislikes to move things. razz It's only a click or two more to report so why not just do it?


I pretty much don't use the like/dislike feature. To me it serves no purpose. And it just seems like downvoting is for the passive aggressive and lazy. Now, I'm pretty lazy. xd But ehh, I guess I don't see the point of using a site feature to troll people.

There are certain places that it takes forever for threads to be moved.

I downvote in the AD all the time for misplaced threads. Why? Because no matter how many times you report the same art request or shop topics (the very first freaking sticky says "do not request art or make shops here" for fooks sake) it can take days, literally, for them to be moved if they are moved at all.

And since its such a slow moving forum anyway it takes days for a topic to get off the first page. You can't direct the user yourself because it's considered spamming. And, since there is no one moving topics, the down vote might actually make the user pay attention to the rules and not post another topic.

[Obsequious Minion]

Usually I just downvote misplaced threads before reporting them. That's really all I use the <3/</3 system for.

Though I also downvote threads when the OP is acting petulant and bitchy and refuses to treat anyone nicely unless they completely agree. But that's only if the problem persists for a ridiculous amount of pages and the OP never backs down.

But those situations are rather rare here in the GCD, so.

Edit: Okay, I also downvote threads where the OP plainly says "DON'T DOWNVOTE", because I'm sort of a jerk. BUT ONLY SOMETIMES.

[Ashleth]

I'll downvote if I think the OP is an idiot. But really, they have to piss me off pretty bad. And I'll upvote if I think the thread is SUPER FABULOUS. But I ignore the voting buttons 90% of the time.