
Ask HN: Is there a reason downvotes on HN don't require comments? - velox_io
It seems there are people on HN who downvote because they disagree with your opinion. Is there a reason comments aren&#x27;t required when downvoting? I think making comments on down-votes mandatory would go a long way in making HN more transparent remove fear of posting something, which some may disagree with.<p>The world would be a very dull place if we all had the same opinion.
======
arkj
If one is getting constatly downvoted means there are more people (here and
now) on the HN community who disagree with your line of thinking. If that
breaks your heart there will always be some other forum where the majority
agrees.

If you are getting downvoted occasionally then there is not much to bother its
part of life. There will always be ones who disagree. But adding comments to
downvote will be piling up mess upon mess.

in case you got downvoted and you didnt mean to be a trouble maker, lets
ignore and live happily together. In the end is HN a place where one seeks
appraisals alone?

------
blackflame7000
A system that enforces comments can't enforce good comments.

~~~
bbcbasic
Well if your downvoting comment is bad it will get downvoted.

~~~
blackflame7000
I can see that leading to a reddit style series of tangent sub-discussions.

------
dragonwriter
> Is there a reason comments aren't required when downvoting?

Yes, downvoting exists to increase the signal-to-noise ratio, and adding more
weight of comments attached to a low-value one does the opposite.

------
mod
Given the quality of HN comments, I am forced to support the current system.

------
bbcbasic
What bothers me more is the greying out on the very first downvote (assuming
no upvotes). Perhaps it should go grey after 3 downvotes at least.

~~~
Mz
Nope. They used to show the karma score next to the comment. Greying out is a
signal to people that you were downvoted and can result in corrective upvotes.

Showing the karma score promoted nasty back-and-forths that would get the
moderator dragged into it as people tried to score more points. So that isn't
something the mods want on this forum. But not having any way to tell comments
with a positive score from those with a negative would also be problematic.

I understand the frustration and the desire for some kind of constructive
feedback. But as someone who does, at times, give people my opinion of what
went wrong with their comment, more often than not, it doesn't help them and
just comes back to bite me.

Downvotes on HN are kind of like democracy: The worst system ever -- except
for all the others.

------
DrNuke
Downvoting is pretty childish, really: moderators want to avoid wind-up
merchants and rightly so but too many kids are just enjoying the ride.

------
NumberCruncher
Not this again! If you publish your opinion online you have to bear the
critics / downvotes. Just get over it!

~~~
miguelrochefort
Happy now?

~~~
NumberCruncher
I will get over it. I am glad you asked.

