this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2025
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Which posts and comments do you either up- or downvote? Which are you not voting on?

Upvote:

  • insightful post or comment I agree with
  • clever jokes or references
  • being open-minded
  • giving helpful advice
  • any post or comment that made me laugh or simile, whether or not it is "good"

  • good gut feeling about someones intention

No-vote:

  • insightful post or comment I disagree with
  • overused jokes
  • useful bots

  • someone angry venting their frustration(s)
  • comments that already exist multiple times in a thread

Downvote:

  • deliberately looking for a "fight" or rage baiting
  • complete disregard to reality
  • false and/or potentially dangerous information
  • spamming bots and/or trolls
  • inciting violence, no matter against whom (people seem to forget this is a straight up crime, sometimes a felony)

  • propaganda and political or religious extremism
  • know all, better than everyone attitude
  • highly questionable anime content (especially sexualizing characters that look like children)
  • obvious, malicious manipulation
  • AI generated content ( mentioned first by cloudless@piefed.social )

I am really interested in your vote behavior and may also update my list as more things come to mind. These will be listed under a horizontal line.

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[–] Strider@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

Paladin voting, righteous! 😁

[–] Pirate@feddit.org 1 points 5 hours ago

I do the same as you. Although i probably report the most blatant cases of astrosurfing, political propaganda, trolling and so on.

[–] trk@aussie.zone 1 points 7 hours ago

Upvote: helpful information, handy tips that are those little nuggets of gold you mine comments sections hoping to find, actually witty comments instead of oft-repeated Reddit style puns, people who actually put some effort in to their post. Basically: stuff I'd want to see if I stumbled on this thread from a Google search in the future.

Downvote: comments complaining about downvotes, any reference to "tankie" or any other perceived and dismissive stereotype, users who complain about being picked on especially by mods (and usually back it up with some tinfoil fanfic about how they've been tracked by Them), Reddit-isms that were overused there and never worth using here, people who don't source their "fact" especially when accompanied by a comment like "it's easy to find this fact". If it's that easy, you do it.

Upvote - i like it :)

No vote - i don't like it or don't care

My instance doesn't have downvotes

[–] kcweller 3 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

Upvote: the things I want others to read.

Downvote: the things I'd rather see buried.

[–] Luci@lemmy.ca 39 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Vibe. That's it. I just vibe vote.

Word. If I would have smiled at you when you said it in person, it's got my upvote.

If I'm just talking with someone and there's no vibe, it's a neutral.

I try not to talk to people who deserve my downvotes. I do fail sometimes.

[–] MyDarkestTimeline01@ani.social 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Upvote: I'd like to see/read more of this. Downvote: I'd like to see/read less of this.

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 7 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

inciting violence, no matter against whom (people seem to forget this is a straight up crime, sometimes a felony)

Just gonna repeat what I said about this in another thread about this:

It is illegal only if it is reasonably going to trigger or calls for any immediate lawlessness. Like straight up trying to get a bunch of people together to knock-over a convenience store or actually organizing a murder.

Saying β€œman, I wish this evil son of a bitch took a round in the face” is not such a time.

[–] Zenith@lemm.ee 3 points 22 hours ago

I was banned from Reddit for inciting violence by saying β€œI’m surprised Kanye hasn’t murder/suicided Kim or Taylor yet” like how tf is that inciting violence? Kanye himself is going for read that?? Is Kanye the one who reported me?

[–] kalipixel@reddthat.com 28 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Upvote is mostly if I want better visibility for the post and that is the intended feature even if you do not agree. Sometimes I upvote comments that I like, because comments are not really about that and more about opinion. I do not have downwote option on my instance, nor can I see the down votes which is fine for me.

[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I see you are a bigger person than me (I genuinely mean that, because this can be seen as sarcasm)

[–] Zenith@lemm.ee 4 points 22 hours ago

I universally downvote things that objectify women

[–] cloudless@piefed.social 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Downvote:

  • AI-generated content (images are okay in specific communities)
  • Tankies
[–] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What about AI generated tankies

[–] cloudless@piefed.social 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Now I need double downvote.

[–] ThrowawayPermanente@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Report - Double downvote with this one weird old trick. Mods hate him!

[–] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 1 points 20 hours ago

Not as fun since mods can see who sent reports here.

[–] tuckerm@feddit.online 8 points 1 day ago

I downvote if it looks like they are posting in bad faith. I'll upvote some comments that I disagree with if the poster was trying to contribute to the conversation -- I usually do that to offset the fact that they've been downvoted a bunch already.

Many of the communities I'm in are fairly small, so I upvote almost every comment that I read. I figure it lets someone know that someone else read what they wrote, and I think that's what a lot of us are here for.

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 4 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

Upvote:

  • Something I like
  • Something I agree with
  • Something funny
  • A great point for an opposing view

Neutral:

  • Something I don't care about
  • Something I agree with, but is incoherent/ confusing
  • Things I disagree with, but is politely presented and has decent arguments

Downvote:

  • Something I think is trolling/Bigotry
  • Agendaposting
  • Something I agree with, but has terrible argument or presented in an offensive way
  • Something I disagree with, and is incoherent/confusing/presented in an offensive way
  • If the post/comment is so confusing I don't even know which side they are arguing for
  • Wildly Offtopic for the thread/comunity
[–] sanderium@lemmy.zip 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

To me upvote/downvote means approval/disapproval, not necesarily agree/disagree. So I've upvoted different posts and comments with different points of view if they are argumented well for and polite.

I do not vote when I skimm the post/comment.

That is basically it.

[–] hightrix@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

Up: comment adds to conversation or makes me laugh

Down: comment talks about upvotes/downvotes, is hateful, is blatant misinformation, is just a gif, is completely unrelated to the conversation, is a clickbait video with a clickbait thumbnail

No vote: everything else.

[–] ExtraMedicated@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

I don't downvote (At least not intentionally, but if I fall asleep while holding my there can be some accidental taps). Even if something seems somewhat offensive to me.

On the other hand, I don't upvote as much as I think I should.

[–] maxmm77@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

When a meme is funny enough to send to my wife, upvote.

When I see that one dude post his daily game screenshot, downvote.

I am simple man.

[–] steeznson@lemmy.world 3 points 22 hours ago

upvote: comment is interesting or funny

downvote: user is being rude (try not to downvote people I disagree with)

[–] DelightfullyDivisive@discuss.online 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I'm pretty similar. I'm probably more generous with upvotes. I'll also downvote:

  • any link without a description
  • YouTube links
  • Twitter reposts (that's usually on reddit, though)

I have to force myself not to downvote anything with anime. I have a visceral dislike for anime, probably a result of the shitty afternoon TV cartoon lineup in the 70s.

I block a LOT of accounts. Anything that looks like ragebait or just arguing in bad faith.

[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Downvoting anime is always morally correct.

[I am being hyperbolic here, relax before calling out my hypocrisy]

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[–] quediuspayu@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

I don't know. I just wing it.

[–] Nemo@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Up:

  • interesting posts that are on-topic for the muni

  • posts in any community that have spawned interesting comments

  • comments that are cogent or thoughtful replies

  • comments that are funny jokes

  • comments that explore a perspective I've never seen before


down:

  • complaining about downvotes

  • posts that are rule-breaking or off-topic for the community

  • posts or comments with slurs, including misogynistic slurs

  • misinformation, disinformation, and unfunny trolling

  • advocacy for antisocial or unethical behavior (NB: illegal is isn't disqualifying)

  • incivility, over-the-top hostility, and petty bickering

  • rhetorical sins like sealioning, the gish gallop, begging the question, and so on

  • posts linking to videos that don't provide a text summary


downvote and report:

  • hate speech

  • wishing harm or self-harm

  • spam

[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Had to look up these rhetorical sins and learned something new today, thanks.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 21 hours ago

Up: I like it or agree
Down: I dislike it or disagree.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

Downvotes for spammers, spreading misinformation disinformation and propaganda, know it all comments which starts with" by the way or actually,,etc" in a condescending manner. Also for people targeting one person specifically and trying to to make a offensive sarcastic joke in a way so they don't get banned.

[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Upvote: any insightful contribution even if I don’t agree with it.

Downvote: Remove this. Don’t show it to others. Was not worth my time to read this content because it contains false information, trolling, etc.

I’d like to encourage others not to use down votes for simple disagreement. Lemmy needs participation from thinking people.

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[–] penguin202124@sh.itjust.works 2 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

Upvote if I think it's high effort, no-vote for most, downvote if wrong or it's misleading.

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I tend to upvote any display of anyone's creative pursuit if I happen to scroll by it. Even if it's not something I'm into. The marker-on-photo-paper guy whose name escapes me, people's photographs in any of the photography related communities, any of the ink doodles, hand made stuff, or comics posted by their original creators.

We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. The average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.

Downvotes : genocide and occupation apologist Upvotes : posts or comment i find interesting No votes : Things i disagree with but it's opinion based

[–] dfyx@lemmy.helios42.de 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Upvote: well written, adds something to the discussion

Downvote: low effort, hurtful or rage bait

I make a point of not using downvotes as an "I disagree" button. If an opinion is presented well, it may still add something to the discussion even if it doesn't match my personal preferences.

Upvote:

  • Everything I see, even if I don't agree with it or even understand it. Lemmy is small, and upvotes can help someone feel good.

Downvote:

  • Anything meant to harm others. Malicious misinformation, hurtful comments, bigotry, etc.
  • AI art
[–] ptz@dubvee.org 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Pretty much same as you listed, actually, but with a few additions:

Upvote:

  • Mark reply as read as long as it's not something under the no-vote/downvote criteria
  • Pity (i.e. if I don't think a post/comment deserves the downvotes it's getting)
  • I'll usually give posts to the communities I mod an upvote b/c I appreciate the contribution

No-Vote:

  • Something I disagree with but doesn't merit a downvote
  • A post I don't like that is in a community I'm not subscribed to (i.e. when browsing /all)

Downvote:

  • Violates the community rule where it's posted
  • Is part of some bandwagon nonsense (e.g. the moths that have polluted the feed in the last several days, beans, etc)
  • Absolutist statements/positions, especially ones that paint the world in overly broad strokes.
[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Ohh, marking replies as read is something I will implement. Never thought about that before.

[–] Ofiuco@piefed.ca 1 points 23 hours ago

I only upvote if something is actually worth upvoting, which basically depends on my mood. I rarely upvote.
I downvote low-effort, some reposts, posting things on comms where they don't really fit (or they are forcing it to fit, like posting social media screenshots in any of the many memes comms), opinion pieces posted as news, misinformation/propaganda about my country, clickbait... I downvote a lot.
The rest I just read or check and keep moving, I don't believe in upvoting everything just to make comms feel alive.

[–] einlander@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I have a up-vote down-vote pattern for when the scores are low. If I disagree with a child comment, I will down-vote the comment and up-vote the parent comment.

Since every comment automatically gets one up-vote, a parent score of 2, and a child score of 0 shows that the parent comment didn't down-vote the reply comment and they should look elsewhere for who to be mad at.

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[–] olafurp@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Upvote stuff I like such as positive news, shitposts, windows bad and Linux good posts.

Downvote rarely, only if the post is factually wrong or misleading and I've spent the time to confirm. "Person shreds other person" is a shit headline and unless he hit a 10 point debate combo with a knockout I'd Downvote.

I ignore communities, posts, and comments that have no real thought behind them. This includes those that are just "educated" repetitions of culture-mantras, no matter what "side" or whatever they are on. Unfortunately, this is most of the internet these days.

Because I appreciate thought, I upvote comments that someone activated some brain cells to write. I also upvote those that make me think, teach me something new, or just make me laugh.

I downvote comments that are mean, aggressive, or otherwise demeaning to the person they are replying to - whether that person was me or someone else.

[–] bledley@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)
  • Upvote - good point/interesting/funny/agree/posts I like to see
  • Downvote - strongly disagree/inappropriate/poor comment/posts I don't like to see
[–] isyasad@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

I don't have strict standards, but generally:

  • usually upvote someone who responds to me with something substantial, even if I disagree
  • downvote things that are antisocial (self-hate/self-harm, antinatalism, misanthropy)
[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 day ago

I upvote things that I think are interesting, things that make me laugh, and questions where people are seeking feedback. I almost never downvote unless something is hideously stupid / bad info or bad take.

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