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Downvoting is too blunt a tool. You can downvote for many reasons "(I think) you are wrong", "your comment adds nothing to the discussion (simply repeating the original)", "I don't like you (lets be honest that is some peoples reason)"

Also the suggestion would balloon the number of comments and make the thread even harder to read

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Here's a hot take: Once Digg/Reddit (and then later with the social apps such as FB) showed strong engagement numbers to VCs with a simple up/down community moderation system (or single button in FB's case), it sucked all the air out of the room for innovation in community-based moderation. Now all social websites just seek to grow in the same well-tread path.

I haven't seen anything really innovative since Slashdot. Has anyone? Is there any room for innovation in user-based moderation and curation for social websites?

Innovation would have to come from making it more expensive to downvote, if one assumes downvoting has inherent issues (it does). It's simply too easy to knee-jerk react by clicking the button. Same thing with upvoting, too. I think both directions of voting should require some "payment" (if you will) before they go through.

HN, Reddit, Kuro5hin, gaming, many places. What differentiates them isn't the tech, but the admins and moderators curation of social behaviours.

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