The downvote button · 8:50pm Apr 6th, 2014
So, there are two new groups that I have been made aware of recently.
The Banish the downvote button to the moon
and The Keep the Downvote Button
Personally, I like the downvote button.
Eakin's story 'Facebook Buys Ponyville' articulates why a downvote option is necessary to gauge worth. Primarily, without a downvote button there is no way to gauge whether a story is bad or simply unnoticed. A story like, say, Chronicle, which has 0 downvotes, is probably decent, but went by without notice by most. Whereas, say, Well, Piss, to pull from the recently updated stories, is probably not very good. I don't know how you guys feel about it, but I think that losing the downvote button would be a detriment to the site and those of us who actually try to write good quality stories ('try' not necessarily succeed).
I can see both sides of the argument here, and ultimately I lean towards the side of keeping the downvote button.
I mean, I don't like it, I'll admit. Every downvote I get it gets me wondering what I might've done wrong. Which isn't a bad thing at all, but its problematic when there's not feedback or information besides that little sliver of red that suggests someone disliked my story for... some reason.
The most aggrivating thing about the downvote button is the fact that you can click it without leaving any comment as to why you're clicking it. If the site had a feature that compelled one to leave a comment with each upvote or downvote, then it'd be a hell of a lot more help to a writer who wants to improve their story.
As it is, its really just a vague system that lets me in general have an idea if what I'm writing is okay or not. Which as you say is better than nothing, but not by much. I mean, I get more upvotes in general than I get downvotes, but all that tells me is that I'm basically doing okay, but nothing else.
In some ways I can see why getting rid of the downvote button might be useful, but less as a matter of removing bruised egos and more of a way to generate traffic.
Ultimately we can't know if our stories are good or bad from an upvote or downvote without real, functional feedback. Real feedback only happens when we get enough people willing to comment, one way or another, on a story. That only happens if a person takes the time to read and feels the need to leave such feedback. If they lacked any other means of providing feedback other than to leave a comment, then the likliehood of reciveing such commnets would increase. If no downvote or upvote existed people could only determine a story's quality by the comments, and that in turn would encourage more commenting, which in turn would inevitably lead to better feedback on stories.
So why choose? Get rid of both. Increase traffic and comments because you can't arbitrarily click a thump, one direction or another, and if you want an author to know how you feel you got to actually tell them.
But that's probably got its own pitfalls and issues too. *shrugs* Then again, the way the system is now, half the fics in the feature box are usually clopfics. Competently written clopfics, but still nothing specail or noteworthy, but they're there because of shittons of upvotes because ponysex.
1986791
I don't look at the vote system so much for the writer as the reader. (Not that I don't get happy with each like and unhappy with each dislike.)
I like stories to increase their visibility because I want others to know that this story is good, I dislike stories (rarely) to let people know that this story isn't worth their time.
It's not a great system, but it's better than nothing. The most important thing is that getting rid of the downvote button would not do anyone any favors, except for those who get dislike floods, but why would we want to help those stories clog up the boxes?
1986807
*nod* I mostly agree. If I could think of a smarter, more effective system, I would, but you're right in that we really don't have a better way for readers to gauge if a story is worth their time or not. So while yeah, like you I feel a tad bumbed out every time a new dislike shows up on one of my stories, the fact that there are way more likes than dislikes is probably the only thing anyone glancing at my stories can see to gauge that it might be a worth a look. Without the downvote button people might avoid reading stories unless they have a lot of likes, just to be on the safe side, so potentially a lot more stories would go unread.
It'd go something like this:
W/O Downvote
Story with 400 likes = Okay I'll read that because its got a lot of likes so it's probably good!
Story with 50 likes = Uhhh... better avoid it.
W/ Downvote
Story with 400 likes and 350 dislikes = Whoa..., controversial story, might avoid, might not.
Story with 50 likes and 3 dislikes = Ah, okay, so this might be a good story, just not noticed much yet, I'll check it out!
So, yeah, you're probably right, the downvote serves a purpose.