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Should scores be hidden by default? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by X_Cli@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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Lemmy implements a scoring system allowing people to upvote or downvote posts. You know that since you are using Lemmy :)

Score can be used to increase or lower visibility of posts, in particular when using some sorting algorithms (active, hot, top).

This can be used to increase the visibility of good quality posts, and lower that of low quality or irrelevant posts.

Yet, from what I observe, the tool is mostly used for communities to self-administer filter bubble. Some communities seem to behave like a hive mind, massively upvoting or downvoting until either the dissident is assimilated in a very Borg way, or excommunicated.

Also, scores seem to be used often to convey cheap moral judgement, without having the need to expose oneself to criticism by providing arguments to sustain their opinion.

Overall, I think scores are more toxic than useful, and I would be in favor of hiding them by default, so that new comers are not put out by them.

What is your opinion about this? What are the advantages of having the score visible by default?

Just a clarification: the question is not "should scores exist or not?". If people find value in scores, good for them. I'm not one to dictate other people preferences. :)

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[–] MerchantsOfMisery@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I prefer it. It dissuades people from being mislead that a person's comment/opinion has a 100% approval rate. In an election, it would make little sense to exclude how many votes were cast against a winning candidate, as that is useful information in understanding how divided their beliefs are. One could argue that this can be observed through written disagreements expressed through replies, but more users express their opinions using the upvoted/downvote system than replying.

I think scores and seeing downvotes makes people less likely to feel that if they disagree with an opinion, they're alone in doing so.

There's been a number of threads I've replied to on Lemmy as a result of this. I see a highly upvoted comment I disagree with and wonder "is it just me, or...?" and then I see that several people have downvoted the comment, which just confirms I'm not the only one who disagrees. I then proceeded to reply and it sparked a richer discussion.

That said, I almost never downvote because in many ways I find it to be a weird form of silencing people.