Why doesnt Fluther have a way to downvote comments?

What does “downvote” mean?

“Downvote” = “Putting you in a coma”

Much as I sometimes crave this ability, being able to downvote quips and, presumably, reduce the lurve of another user turns the lurve system from a means of showing appreciation into a competition, and fellow users into rivals. Much better to rely on your wit and wisdom to slam fools :)

i think it would just be messy. people would have lurve points one second, lose them the next. douchebags in debate would probably take advantage of it by giving negative lurve to whoever disagrees with them. i don’t know, as much as sometimes i’m like “MAN i want to delurve that person!”, i don’t think it’d be a good addition really.

Who needs more negativity? Fluther is just fine as it is.

Because the majority of answers on Fluther are good and the really stupid ones get deleted anyway

What if one could downvote a response for others to see without it changing ones Lurve?

In a roundabout way, I think we do “downvote” comments. On the recent question about “pregnant women” one member said something that caught other member’s attention and pointed it out to him, more than once. @Ubersiren even taught an anatomy lesson, on the subject. (I lurved her answer!)

While we may not have a place to click to say that an answer, or quip sucked, we do, on a regular basis point out the answers we do not like or do not agree with – isn’t that a way of “downvoting” an answer?

because this isn’t Assville or Yapoo Answers.

Because if you have nothing nice to say you might as well not say anthing. Plus you still can prove why people are dumbasses withotu downvoting them.

@Jayne

Lurve is already a competition.

@tiffyandthewall

Douchebags in debates already take advantage of lurve by giving it to everyone who agrees with them.

If you’re intent on having this lurve system, at least allow us to de-lurve a comment that we already gave lurve to. Sometimes I accidentally click “Great Answer” on a comment that I don’t want to give any lurve to.

You have been here less than a week and want to “downvote” people already? Who peed in your cheerio’s?

Why just comments? why not “downvote” questions too.

@Ivan; perhaps, but if the rate at which you gain lurve takes into account people that don’t like your answer as well as those that do, it becomes a much more accurate gauge of popularity, and so does the total lurve score; as it is, lurve is a pretty useless way to compare yourself with another user, so its main purpose is just to let another user know you appreciate their answers.

I think it goes against the nature of the site. I have repeatedly seen people comment on what a warm and welcoming community this is, especially juxtaposed against the rest of the internet. Most anonymous-ish community websites turn into places people go to vent their frustration with the rest of the world in a place that has no real-life consequences. It’s not pretty.

Not having a downvote option is one of many design decisions that I think has helped to foster the gracious and thoughtful spirit of the community. If you really disagree with a comment your only recourse is to take the time to write out exactly why you don’t like it. More than once, I have done this and had a very good dialogue with the person I disagreed with, and we’ve come to a mutual understanding of each other. Clicking a “Crappy Answer” button would never be able to accomplish that.

And believe me, I have wanted to “Crappy Answer” people very badly, and have lost my temper and said nasty things I later regretted more than once.

Because fluther is not about hate. We are a collective.

Fluther is a positive experience and it would be awesome not to let it degenerate to a thumbs up/thumbs down site.

Positive feedback is best.

The idea of negative lurve would turn this site into a hatefest remarkably quickly and many other sites have seen this happen.

@Fluther. . .I wish I could downvote you all once a week just so I could give out all of that fresh Lurve again. :)

Because people are people, they have feelings. Yes, there are trolls, but I wouldn’t want someone’s beliefs to be downvoted just because they aren’t the same as the norm here.

What @nikipedia said. Great answer.

see there; I just “upvoted” her.

Because putting such an option in my hands is probably a very bad idea.

@ nikipedia: i didnt say word one about hate.

@Noel_S_Leitmotiv I have read nikipedia’s response 3 times now and do not see where she said one word about hate.

For subtle critical writing, see the comments by Hendrik Hertzberg in this week’s New Yorker.” It’s called “The Glorious Third” and is about Palin’s resignation. Hertzberg quotes other people (including the cogent and eloquent Levi Johnson) and then juxtaposes Thomas Jefferson’s views and Palin’s and makes his point without actually saying anything nasty. It’s an art. Here

Or try Gail Collin’s subtle take on the Sotomayor hearings. (Or not-so-subtle, but deft.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/opinion/16collins.html?_r=1&em

Jayne’s got the right idea. He always does.

@Pete: Are you writing a novel? I have to go to bed soon. (I had a giant beet today, roasted and from my sis’s garden.)

pete fell into the same hole that asmo fell into a ways back…

@eponymoushipster Where is asmo? I haven’t seen her in ages.

@chyna : Oops, the reply was from NaturalMineralWater

@chyna dunno. i think she’s been having internet and other issues. she tweeted a couple times in the last few days, but via her phone.

Because here at Fluther – it all about luuurrve!

^___^

(Here, let me click you a GQ so you’d know what I mean..)