EDIT: Maybe just for comments? Downvoats may still help with content quality control
There is some good in the concept of downvoating however in practice we've seen and continue to see the primary use a downvoat button will be an "I disagree with this person" button.
Removing downvoating entirely will not negatively impact the site. Misinformation will still be called out and not upvoated, spammers should be reported(hoping for that report button one day), ass holes will be called out, irrelevant posts and comments will be ignored/receive very few if any upvoats or get reported.
Removing the downvoat ability would also deal with any future issues with brigades, which was a big issue on that other place.
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[–] calyxa 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Copy-pasting a comment I made in a post in v/AskVoat:
I was thinking of a per-subverse parameter, call it "downvoat freeze" so each subverse could specify its own minimum. When a post gets to that point, it should alert the mods because if a post or comment is getting so many downvoats it probably needs some sort of moderator intervention.
That intervention could include - remove the post/comment, remove the downvoat freeze (thus allowing the post to continue sinking no longer limited by the freeze), or do nothing (i.e., allow the post/comment to stay as-is).
[–] umpaloompa ago
This is a good idea if the mods are active 24/7, which is not the case yet. With this we put a lot more pressure on the mods instead of acting as a community.
[–] calyxa ago
Something like a post/comment hitting its downvoat freeze CAN WAIT. It's not an urgent fire. But a post/comment being downvoat brigaded IS a fire.