Doesn't it tick you off?

Question

...to get a thumbs-down for a perfectly reasonable answer?
I know when I'm typing that some of my answers are going to get a bunch of downticks.

But the informational ones, saying the equivalent of "Atheists don't believe in God" or "The Bible was originally in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek", those will get a thumbs-down or two too.

Do I have a reputation already, that my answers will get a thumbs-down on name recognition? Are people clicking by accident? Doesn't it make you mad to get a downtick on an ostensibly non-controversial answer?

Looking over this, I sound angrier than I actually am about it. I'm just curious. What's your best theory on this phenomenon?

Answer 1

Based on almost no data, since I have no idea who thumbs-up or thumbs-down things, I presume that we have (A) a group of believers who will thumbs-down anything that looks critical of religion and (B) a group of non-believers who will thumbs-down anything that looks supportive of religion. So group A will hit anything that speaks supportively of, say, evolution, even if the argument is that God created the Universe. Group B will hit anything that mentions any Scripture in anything other than a totally derogatory tone.

Yeah, it's irritating. I made one post that stated that the first postulate of special relativity is that the speed of light in a vacuum is an absolute - which is true, and easily verified. I still haven't figured out which group downed it.

Answer 2

I agree. I got an answer from the bible though and got a thumbs down so I don't think that it is your name but one or more thing that you said that someone didn't agree with. I don't know. Sometimes I think that people just want to click no for the heck of it. It's also real early in the morning or late at night however you want to say it and some people are tired and half way typing and reading. Don't take it personally.

Answer 3

First, the person who posted the question usually rates to minimize the answers they don't like from view. Then all the atheists get thumbs downs automatically from any Christians who remember to do it. Seeing that, the atheists get ticked off and give the Christians thumbs downs so it turns into a little thumb war. I don't bother with it anymore, the only time I give a thumbs down is if it's a long spammy copy and paste job, and I don't care how many thumbs downs I get, it doesn't matter.

Answer 4

There is a thumb war going on. Some Christians thumb down every atheist opinion. Some Atheists thumb down every Christian opinion. Sometimes I think people aren't even reading, they're just looking for someone who is not one of them, and then giving them the thumb. It's silly. And no I'm not mad about it either. I just say a prayer for whoever gives me a thumbs down.

Answer 5

Yeah, I wonder about that sometimes. Some people just seem to be trigger happy with the thumbs down. Perhaps it gives them a sense of power, I dunno.
Sometimes I give something that has a load of thumbs down, like a tasteless joke or something, a thumbs up, just to annoy people.

Answer 6

Yes, I've noticed this as well. I seem to constantly get the thumbs-down for perfectly reasonable answers (no doubt I'll get a couple for this one also!). Some people just seem to want to annoy other people. Other people may just take your answer the wrong way, even if you don't see how they could.

Answer 7

The system has drifted from its original meaning. It was supposed to mean Good answer/Bad answer, but now it means Agree/Disagree. Nowadays you can pretty much type the most correct answer ever given but you'll still get a thumbs down if someone doesn't want to hear it. It just happens here; I don't even really pay attention to it anymore.

Answer 8

A black racist (the U.S. is equal opportunity, you know) once reported an answer of mine as a violation. It was totally unjustified, but because I also got an invective-filled email I knew who it was. So I followed that person for a while and gave a thumbs-down to every answer, and it didn't matter if it was only about how to clean a cat's litter pan. It felt good, it was the only thing I could do, and I eventually got tired of it.

Answer 9

Thumbs Ups.....

Answer 10

I understand, chance

I've seen some voting based on the merits of the argument, and I've seen others that disregard merits because they're just plain ideologically opposed to certain beliefs to begin with.

It takes mature people to have polite, honest and open dialogue and exchange of ideas.

Hang in there, your not alone.

Just to let you know where I stand philosophically, I'm a Christian. This fact will also prove your point; just watch the thumbs-down count begin to accumulate.