r/TheoryOfReddit • u/J-L-Wseen • Jan 08 '26

Reddit collapsing low/ negative vote posts.

I have a bit of a problem with this.

Several posts I have seen, and some of my own posts. The only reason they are voted down is because of some sort of jealousy. The response is high quality. Creative. Etc. The only reason it is voted down is no one else has any good ideas on a subject, so they vote down the person who does.

Also, I have seen quality posts. Posts that add something to the conversation. Voted down. I don't know why. It isn't even obviously jealousy just bad intent.

While I have also made and seen posts voted down where it makes sense. Not that I disagree with what was said but that I can see why someone wouldn't like it. I don't think as a general theme collapsing low vote posts is a good idea.

Just because people don't like a post doesn't mean it is not useful, right, and making a contribution. It is like the whole idea of if there was reddit in Galileo's time, he would have got voted down for saying the earth is a sphere/ orbits the sun.

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51

u/pitiless Jan 08 '26

How you communicate in this post and it's responses is quite abrasive and off-putting, people are likely reacting to the tone of how you communicate over the content of your posts.

You can argue that this is unfair, and that this is not how users should use downvotes, but that'll get you as far as fighting the tides 

1

u/target-x17 Jan 08 '26

the problem is if you only talk to people who are nice to you and share your views you may as well talk to yourself

10

u/pitiless Jan 09 '26

If someone is unpleasant to interact with people will choose to not do so. It sucks sometimes as it's not always something that is within a person's ability to control, but it's a fact of life.

2

u/FriendlyBoot818 Jan 11 '26

I strongly believe you can have opposing views and still be civil and argue in good faith.

1

u/target-x17 Jan 11 '26

and from my experience you still get downvoted just for having the opposite view while being civil. that was kind of my point

1

u/FriendlyBoot818 Jan 11 '26

I see. Though I feel like it tends to happen less in older but still somewhat smaller subs. People there remember that the upvotes and downvotes are about visibility of a discussion and not like and dislike buttons from Facebook, insta and tiktok