I just realized something about downvotes..it should scare you

Yesterday I published the first chapter of what I am affectionately nicknaming my Quadruple A Shorts. Like all of my stories most of the chapters are long and obsessively detailed. If you have a problem with that that's fine, however here is what isn't fine.

I think there is someone on fimfiction using an automated down vote system..and probably have something in it that allows them to pick and choose who gets down voted by genre or some other factor.
Why do I think this?

Well when I published the Quadruple A shorts I was the only one who had seen the first chapter. Obviously my view doesn't count towards views because Author Powers. So I glance at it, I'm not expecting a million up votes or views. Average views for my stories maybe top one hundred, never on the first day though they accumulate over time. Not many up vote, apparently they prefer to favorite which is awesome.
To those who do both, thank you.

However in this case nobody had viewed my story at all. There were 0 views, none natta nil.
Yet curiously there was one down vote, no view but a down vote.

I think back on it and realize every single time any of my stories were published regardless of time of day, that magical down vote with no view occurs. Not only that, every time a single one of my updates goes through, at least as of late; it adds one down vote but no new view. Within a few seconds.

Now I'm no coding master, I have a few friends who are but not me. But I do know enough about coding and computers to know it is perfectly possible to make an automated customized down voting program. Also I played WoW so I know what macros can do in a video game, and I know a few things about forums.

Also last I checked you can't down vote without looking at a story.

So that leaves only one option, an automated system programmed to down vote stories meeting certain criteria. Or just all stories the moment they publish. Why should this scare you? Because this means there is a robot/program down voter on the loose.

Oh and to people who down vote and ditch without a comment, again please leave a comment. Otherwise I will just presume you're doing it for negative reasons, really I will. Besides it also just shows bad manners and lack of empathy, then again with the way tech and social media are being shown to affect our brains that isn't surprising.

Saying "It's just the internet" Isn't an excuse, because the internet is what the people who use the internet make it. You can choose to add to the toxic environment, or help improve it, your choice. One way you can improve it is when you down vote say why you did so, or don't do it at all and join those who read stories and leave with no vote or comment.

I might even write a fanfic about some of this.

Glen Gorewood