• ccunning@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    For the most part it is how it plays out.

    There may be exceptions but the benefits far outweigh the downsides.

    Even just lurking on mastodon is frustrating because there is nothing to be done about trolls but engage or ignore and we all know folks can’t help but engage; it’s trolls raison d’être.

    I generally assume those complaining about downvotes existing are frustrated trolls.

    • bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      4 months ago

      For the most part it is how it plays out

      We seem to be coming to very different conclusions and neither of us is providing a source so lol

      I will say this, deplatforming has proven to be consistently the most powerful tool. Down votes do not stop incessant bullshit, only removing the people who do and in the content itself has proven effective.

            • bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              4 months ago

              It’s completely relevant. You are arguing that the purpose of down voting is to get rid of the noise/misinformation/dumb stuff/generally unwanted content. I am saying there are better options.

              • Womble@lemmy.world
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                4 months ago

                How does any of that help against users who derail discussions with rage-bait or offensive but just this side of bannable comments?

                • bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                  4 months ago

                  That’s already a problem. We see that stuff all the time. The only way to stop that behavior is comment/post removals and bans. When have downvotes ever deterred troublemakers?

                  • Womble@lemmy.world
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                    4 months ago

                    they dont deter them, but they offer a method of pushing them down the conversation so others are less likely to see and engage with them. You can go to any large reddit thread and see a huge pile of vile dross downvoted to oblivion down at the bottom, it definitely works for suppressing (some) trolls. The question is whether the increase in group think and circlejerking is worth it.