I have been getting a lot of GOOD feedback on downvotes here lately. Where am I at on how I think about downvotes? Downvotes are primarily used to reallocate the reward pool but they are also a form of communication.
I used to believe I could build a downvote chart fairly easily. I was thinking the downvote chart would be 2D where you could see from top to bottom a list of "abuse" on HIVE. Fortunately / unfortunately (depending on how you feel), I think downvotes as a "reason" falls into more of a 3D radar chart. Really all that means is, some instances where downvotes are used are fairly straight forward and some instances are VERY complex.
Ultimately downvotes are weird, just like the potato professor above that is teaching about them. But like I said above, downvotes are a form of communication on HIVE.
Downvoting is usually not fun for most people. When people do investigations leading up to a downvote, those are usually pretty fun. But when a downvote is used, not everyone enjoys it. I would guess some people do enjoy it but I am not one of those people.
Upvotes and downvotes are inherently innocuous. I think a lot of people overreact to downvotes due to the history of how downvotes have been used. Sometimes when I downvote someone, they have a tendency to downvote me back in retaliation. I do think that is ok to some extent because downvotes are a form of communication. Not everyone will naturally get along and I think more communication is good. I do not like how some downvote situations end though, normally what could be a fairly innocuous conversation turns into something way more dramatic. This is why most people who downvote do not a leave a reason when they downvote. I think that is all ok still. I would like a world where people can get upset, say outlandish things, but eventually come back to HIVE, rectify whatever happened on chain, and be themselves.
HIVE, in a lot of ways, is the global town square where people come to express themselves and debate. We cannot delete accounts or silence people. Someone's rating can be reduced and you can mute them using a front end, but people can always post to express themselves. This is something HIVE has that no other place does, true freedom to communicate what you want. There is not freedom of rewards though. And regardless of how mad someone gets, the reward pool is not free. All stakeholders are giving up value of their stake when there is HIVE inflation. I think this is a very important part of the reward pool. The inflation component forces larger and smaller stakeholders to interact. I have had many instances where a downvote situation turned out to be positive. These people that turn downvotes into something positive tend to be very humble. I have a lot of respect for people that can end up having a positive relationship with the person they get downvoted by. Downvotes not going anywhere serious is a lot more common than most people think; it is only the loudest people that get all the attention. The people who are humble and keep their cool, usually find a way out of it.
I am not a fan of downvoting people "forever." I think most people can adjust their thought process or how they cope and get to a point where they can have a positive experience on HIVE. I think the more we relax and have a good time, the more we can really take the time to enjoy what HIVE is.
What is HIVE? Hive is a lot of things, but it is for sure NOT simple. So when you feel confused about HIVE, that is probably normal. If you feel normal about HIVE, that is probably normal too. HIVE is a confusing place but also very normal. HIVE is mostly what you make of it. I think there are a lot of reasons to be positive and negative about life. I think there are a lot of reasons to be positive and negative about time spent on HIVE.
Either way.... Don't look at the charts. Ask yourself, "what positive experience did I come to HIVE for?" Then move forward to pursue that positive experience on HIVE. Do you have to do this? No. But you can! And being happy is a lot more fun then being mad anyways. Here is to a better year in 2026. 2025 was a rough one so I think 2026 doesn't have to do much to be way better 😅
This post is not directed at anyone. It is me just expressing myself on my blog. I will continue to downvote when I think it makes sense and I am always happy to get feedback from users on chain. If I downvote you or your friend, lobby me on chain so we can have a discussion and people can learn from it. I have a positive relationship with a lot of people I have downvoted and I look forward to meeting more of these people on HIVE.
Cheers!
Hurt