Sometimes though there can be cases of harassment based on downvotes. I won't mention no names, but recently I saw someone on Lemmy reveal (with evidence) how they were sent death threats and were harassed for something FAR more petty. If people like that can exist, then I don't even want to imagine what can happen when your disapproval of a person's opinions is public.

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 1 points 13 hours ago

Here's the thing. Downvotes ARE public, just with a slightly higher barrier to access. Bad actors like that? Slightly higher barriers aren't an issue, they will walk barefoot over broken glass to mess with you. The issue under consideration here is whether to remove that barrier so normal users (not crazy ones) can access the same info that others can.