Why you get downvoted

OK, obviously I can’t tell you why YOU are getting downvoted, but possibly my personal data will provide general insight.

There seems to be renewed concern about downvoting, based on recent posts. We all know (or think, anyway) that Moon Greed has caused an escalation in downvotes. I feel like something of an expert in downvotes, because I get a ton of them. I suspect it’s because I don’t care much about Moons, and don’t temper my comments if I have something unpopular to say.

Anyway, just for fun I did a deep dive into my downvotes over the last 6 months, to see if it might enlighten me as to the types of comments that collect the most downvotes, at least for me. I took all comments that received more than two net downvotes, and subdivided them into self-defined categories. Here’s a pie graph, followed by more detailed notes on category definitions:

https://i.imgur.com/VRS4FfD.jpg

Some general notes

This is six months of data, from two accounts. I used to post here with another account, but I lost access to that account, so post from this one now.

I have only included comments, not original posts. People who comment on others’ posts far outweigh people who create their own posts, and it’s my hunch that many downvotes on posts come from people who didn’t read beyond the title. So data on comments only seems more relevant.

I also did not go beyond 3rd level comments, as things often degenerate into *ad hominem *attacks with deeper nesting.

Specific notes on categories

NEGATIVE COMMENTS ON NANO: I received a total of 297 downvotes for shit-talking NANO, on a total of 21 comments.

NEGATIVE COMMENTS ON ETH: I received a total of 211 downvotes for shit-talking ETH, on a total of 48 comments.

NEGATIVE COMMENTS ON SAFEMOON: I received a total of 198 downvotes for shit-talking Safemoon, on a total of 22 comments.

If you do the math, NANO has by far the highest downvote per comment ratio, and if you worry about downvotes, I’d say refrain from saying anything negative about it. It’s clear that saying bad things about any of those three cryptos will bring out downvoters more than any other comment type. Why is that?

One could frame this positively, as unrelenting loyalty to the downvoters’ bags; neutrally, as deep subconscious doubt about their chosen project’s viability; or negatively, as merely a high propensity for butthurt. I won’t venture to guess which one of those predominates.

COMMENTS SUGGESTING DECENTRALIZATION IS GIVEN UNDUE IMPORTANCE

I am all for decentralization. I just believe the expectations of many on this sub are unreasonable in that regard. Further, I believe it’s become a buzzword, and that many who use it don’t quite get what it means. In any case, offering either of those beliefs will probably not be well-received. I total, I received 179 downvotes on 31 comments in this group.

REASON FOR DOWNVOTES UNCLEAR

Of the downvotes included in this data set, there were 171, on 107 comments, for which I could not identify an obvious motive.

NEGATIVE COMMENTS ON OTHER CRYPTOS

This represents a range of cryptos, but does not include the three biggies mentioned in the first three categories. There are many cryptos I don’t really believe in, and my comments are spread over them too thinly to be worth separating into their own categories. These comments were not generally caustic, just bearish. This includes simply questioning the crypto, without claiming something explicitly negative. 120 downvotes on 37 comments of this nature.

POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT DOGE

I want to be clear that I don’t hold DOGE, and have never claimed it was a solid project. I traded it for a time, but never considered it a long term hold. When DOGE hate was at its peak, people ranted about it without regard for facts, and I often pointed this out. So by ‘positive,’ I just mean “Well, DOGE does have a legit use case; it’s just not great at it,” as opposed to “DOGE to the moon, boys!” I gathered 100 downvotes on 27 comments where I apparently failed to apply blind hate to DOGE.

POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT DAY/MARGIN TRADING

I day trade stocks. That’s my job. So I day trade some cryptos, too. I make money at it consistently, so I don’t understand the general attitude I detect here that it’s pure gambling, and a guaranteed way to lose money. It’s not for everyone, it requires tight risk control, and there’s a learning curve. But people here dismiss it out of hand. I’ve occasionally tried to provide perspective, and usually get downvoted for it. 84 downvotes on 11 comments.

GENERAL IRONY

Sometimes I’m a smartass, and comment ironically. Sometimes people just don’t get it. I won’t speculate as to whether it’s my fault or theirs. 75 downvotes on 7 ironic comments that I felt were misinterpreted.

POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT OTHER COINS

DOGE not included. Occasionally I’ve been downvoted for chiming in with a supportive comment about ADA, HBAR, ALGO, or something else. I received 74 downvotes on 26 comments where I said something good about a specific coin.

POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT COINBASE OR BINANCE

Again, I want to clarify. I am not a shill for either of these huge exchanges. They have their issues. But for me, experiences have been largely positive, and when I feel that someone is exaggerating how evil they are, I will relate my own experience. I got 36 downvotes for 11 comments that were seen as “making excuses” for exchanges when they caused problems for their users.

I don’t know if any of this helps anyone, but it was fun putting it together.