What is the point of downvotes?

[Wookieebush]

Downvotes are a topic of much hate within the community. I don't understand why steam continues to employ the current process of voting. Allowing people to anonymously downvote things is just BEGGING people to troll. Especially when you allow people to follow someone and get updates every time something is posted on the workshop. Why can't steam require a comment if you want to downvote? Isn't the point of voting to provide community feedback? Provide an identity with negative feedback and 95% of the trolls will disappear. Hell you could add reporting and remove vote privileges for a period of time if someone abuses votes.

Edit: my concern mainly applies to workshop items. I get downvotes are useful in other applications like games, reviews, and guides.

[Ganger]

Do gamers really take notice of downvotes and negative feedback ? I sure don't and im guessing most of the gamer base doesn't. If gamers did listen too feedback then games like COD, early access games, EA games, games from greedy devs will never sell at all.

But gamers that are clued on, can tell a troll/hate filled post from a constructive criticism post by a mile.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Well, at least they can't vote either way if they don't own the game.

[Satoru]

1) how does requiring a comment prevent trolling?
2) why would “provide an identity” prevent trolling given that trolls troll on the forums totally fine
3) how do you distinguish trolling from legitimate downvotes
4) many people who upvote do basically the same thing, they don’t comment either so what’s the difference

[Dakuwan]

Originally posted by Satoru:

1) how does requiring a comment prevent trolling?
2) why would “provide an identity” prevent trolling given that trolls troll on the forums totally fine
3) how do you distinguish trolling from legitimate downvotes
4) many people who upvote do basically the same thing, they don’t comment either so what’s the difference

This

[candyboy]

what is a downvote?

[Ganger]

Originally posted by Satoru:

3) how do you distinguish trolling from legitimate downvotes

You can't really, unless you look at their profile and hours played. Someone who has like 30 hours gameplay and has downvoted is most likely angry at something and not the game.

But when it comes to them commenting, its easy too spot a troll.

[Wookieebush]

1) trolls thrive off anonymity. If you make a troll show who he is, he is less likely to troll
2) same thing
3) pretty easy to distinguish between someone providing negative feedback, and someone posting a random filler comment
4) in what way is upvoting something a troll

[The End]

Originally posted by WookieeBush:

Downvotes are a topic of much hate within the community. I don't understand why steam continues to employ the current process of voting. Allowing people to anonymously downvote things is just BEGGING people to troll.

People have different taste/opinions, just because you made what you belive to be a good review/guide/screenshot/art etc. it's possible that other users have a very different opinion, and with that they decide to downvote what ever you posted.
That is perfectly fine.

If people had to write a comment it would be used by the toxic users to stalk/harass/bully the users who dare to not like the "masterpiece" they have produced.

[Wookieebush]

you really think people would complain about downvoting if it was just people expressing different opinions. It is being abused and you are a fool if you think otherwise

[Ganger]

Originally posted by WookieeBush:

you really think people would complain about downvoting if it was just people expressing different opinions. It is being abused and you are a fool if you think otherwise

Look at the COD games, they all downvoted but its still the highest selling game.

[Dope Pope]

Originally posted by WookieeBush:

you really think people would complain about downvoting if it was just people expressing different opinions. It is being abused and you are a fool if you think otherwise

You're an idiot if you think people can't abuse upvotes as well

[The End]

Originally posted by WookieeBush:

you really think people would complain about downvoting if it was just people expressing different opinions. It is being abused and you are a fool if you think otherwise

How would you know the difference? How do you figure/decite if a downvote is a users with a different opinion or a troll? You can't.

People who complain about downvotes are often people who just don't like if people dare to not agree with them.

I respect you have a different opinion, now you should accept, that people with a different opinion don't have to be fools, they just have a different opinion, and one opinion can be as good as the other, no matter you liking it or not.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by WookieeBush:

you really think people would complain about downvoting if it was just people expressing different opinions. It is being abused and you are a fool if you think otherwise

Yes, because people have a tendency to call people trolls when they don't agree with them.

[Poppi !!]

" Troll " has become a very vague word, overused to describe anyone with differing opinions, ideas, behaviors, you name it.

It's become irrelevant and using " trolling " as an argument against having the downvote option isn't really valid at all.

[Radene]

Originally posted by WookieeBush:

1) trolls thrive off anonymity. If you make a troll show who he is, he is less likely to troll
2) same thing

No, trolls thrive off your reactions, because you losing your nerve over what they say entertains them.

3) pretty easy to distinguish between someone providing negative feedback, and someone posting a random filler comment
4) in what way is upvoting something a troll

If "random filler comment" is trolling, then "10/10" with nothing more said is trolling.