Thumbs Down!?

Question

Taking a poll on the thumbs down syndrome ... why do you give an answer a thumbs down?

Is it because you don't think it was helpful to the person asking the question, because it was rude and/or hateful/racist, or simply because you don't agree with their answer? C'mon, come clean and tell the truth.

(Yahoo! Answers suggests that "thumbs down" should be used for answers that were not helpful to the person asking the question.... not simply because the answer conflicts with your opinion.)

Answer 1

All of the above but also if I see that someone has thumbs downed everyone I will put one on theres. You did ask for honesty.

Answer 2

Now it's a syndrome?? Weird....
I haven't give ANY type of thumbs yet, but I think all of the reasons you listed are the reasons people give a thumbs down, why else. And if another's answer conflicts with yours, well that would mean you don't agree with what they said, which would usually mean you see their answer as "not helpul to the asker." There probably are a few who do it just to be jerky, but do u seriously care that much.
Besides, isn't that part of what makes this yahoo answers crap fun? If there wasnt any of that thumbs up or down, no best answer, etc., I guarantee you this wouldn't be as popular as it is. Don't tell me you don't get a little excited if you got a few thumbs up for a good answer...... haha!! You gotta take the bad with the good.

Answer 3

I will give a thumbs down only if I find the question or answer rude, racist. Or if the answerer answers a question with something that doesn't even have anything to do with the question. Like if someone uses this site to try to promote a dating site or something like that.

Answer 4

Exactly what you just said. Because someone is rude, hateful, or I don't agree with their answer. That is the whole purpose of the thumbs down is it not?
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If I disagree with the opintion then I may not see it as helpful correct? For example someone might ask "What is it like to smoke"? Some people explain what it's like and then one person says "Go get some smokes and try it". Well if you want to get down to it, then yes, that would be helpful, trying it would show the person what it's like. However I might thumbs down them because getting someone hooked on smoing is also harmful. By the way, you could have asked "Do you thumbs up opintions you disagree with"? My answer would be yes, since things I may disagree with my actually have good points that could be helpful.
You wanted honest answers. I'm giving you one. This site runs off opintions. From some of the questions to the answers and then a chosen answer. It's all about opintion.

Answer 5

There's a bunch of different reasons to thumbs-down something. A hateful reply is one of them, an unhelpful answer (has to be seriously unhelpful) is another, and if the answer is inaccurate.

For example, I just answered a question from someone who asked if she should be worried that her kitten was panting after a hard play session. Someone said that cats shouldn't pant - I know for a fact that they do when they have been playing hard, so I gave them a thumbs-down.

Answer 6

I have never given a thumbs down on an answer I disagreed with. I give thumbs down for hateful responses, and that's it.

Answer 7

I don't bother giving thumbs down unless the answer is rude, racist, vulgar, or otherwise abusive. If I don't agree with an answer, I just don't bother it. I give more thumbs up's than downs.

Answer 8

ye, i have noticed that one too. despite the question or the answer being good-natured, it still gets thumbs down for some reasons. sometimes, the questions can be really good, but connote a negative idea, hence the tumbs down.

i was gonna ask this question too.

Answer 9

A different point of view is fine by me. I will give a thumbs down when they are mean or rude. I really hate the times when you just know the person is just pure hatefull.

Answer 10

Well, I didn't know YA had that thumb system for that reason. I thought it was for answers you thought were retarded, which is all I use it for.