Not having downvotes - or another way of indicating crap content - is really bad imo. I have logged in to post this but have not posted or logged for months.

There is so much garbage even on the front page. Then so much spam. And both voting options basically mean the same.

I think it's a dumb move and it is keeping me off the platform (well also the big right wing majority, and the people constantly talking about only jews.).

I thought it was dumb when DIGG removed downvotes. And it was the beginning of the end of Digg. Reddit tried it, and then sort of shadow banned the downvote button.

Why not have two downvote buttons instead? One that means "crap content". Another that means I disagree with this post / dislike the opinion or "facts" presented.

This inability to give negative critique is basically creating a bit of an SJW safespace. You need negative critique to have robust content, and a living conversation about it.

But if you have downvotes, upvotes, smilies, whatever, at least I can have an idea how the local opinion is on the post. Then I can see for myself what I think about it. But the whole reason for using any of the three platforms, is that I want to know which things the users/hive floats to the top.

With having only positive feedback options this main use for me, is just not available.

Then people argue here that it is better to post critique in the comments... Sorry if some idiot or scammer is squatting the front page, I'm not going to reward them by commenting on their disinformation or BS. As magnora and others here have told me, the only way to boycott such posts is to ignore them. The whole thing is a sad mechanic.

And this is why I haven't logged in for months and mostly stopped using the site. Why bother logging in if I'm not going to vote in any meaningful way. So I just have a look every week or two, see if there is anything interesting (barely) and off again.

Still waiting for a platform with reasonable free speech that isn't safespacified. But then I've been waiting for that since Digg withered and died.

And anyone who doesn't remember DIGG... So sorry you never knew the internet when it was still cool. It kinda died together with Aaron Schwartz.

//How nice to see nearly all agreeing here... or maybe it's become a safe echo chamber already?