HN Downvote Misuse

Comments debate the proper purpose of downvotes on Hacker News, arguing they should target low-quality or off-topic content rather than mere disagreements, often citing the site's FAQ.

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Keywords

WHY OK FAQ GP downvote downvotes comment disagree downvoting downvoted comments conversation votes vote

Sample Comments

lallysingh Aug 8, 2019 View on HN

Sometimes people comment on things they downvote.

thisacctforreal Nov 16, 2017 View on HN

Friendly reminder that downvotes should be reserved for comments you don't want to see on the site, not for comments you disagree with.

endtime Mar 31, 2017 View on HN

Whoever downvoted this: Downvoting should be for comments that are low quality or don't contribute to the conversation, not perfectly fine comments with which you disagree.

mileycyrusXOXO Dec 26, 2019 View on HN

Reminder: downvotes are for comments that do not add value to the conversation, not for opinions you disagree with. Instead, if you disagree with someone you should contribute to the conversation by leaving a comment stating why you disagree.

Apocryphon Oct 29, 2012 View on HN

Downvotes are for disagreements, too.

irishcoffee Sep 1, 2015 View on HN

People have a habit of downvoting just because they disagree with what is said, which is not the purpose of a downvote.

rukittenme Jun 1, 2019 View on HN

Reminder to those down voting this comment. Down votes are for people not contributing to the discussion in a meaningful way. They are not for expressing disagreement. Use the reply button if you disagree with the parent comment.

lotusleaf1987 Aug 16, 2010 View on HN

Why do people down-vote just because they don't agree? Save the down-votes for off-topic or offensive comments.

jasonlotito Dec 29, 2011 View on HN

Your comment is a good one. People are downvoting not because you aren't contributing, but because they disagree with you and are trying to silence your opinion. They forget that upvotes should be used to encourage discussion, and down votes used to remove comments that don't contribute. Hopefully, posting here will highlight your comment so others will take note.

kev009 Jan 2, 2015 View on HN

Sad to see people misuse downvotes so much. A differing opinion or controversy is not a reason to bury a comment.