Short version: Jerks were using them to harass trans users so we got rid of them and then banned everyone who came out to complain about getting rid of them
my favorite chapo dot chat lore about that is that one guy who downvoted every single pinned post on principle and got banned for downvoting one about trans rights
And they're still with us to this day, posting stuff that blurs the line between shitposting and trolling until their account is banned
Again, and again, and again like Sisyphus
My favorite part is a sub-section of that. That user made a second account to discuss the ban and explain themselves, and the first thing they did was downvote the current pinned post again, which got them banned again. 
legendary posting tbh
But how would anybody be able to know who is trans here? All I see is a username.
Well known users who identify and reactionaries who lurk here would driveby downvote them and their threads.
It was before my time, but as far as I've heard the fight was centered around "I love my trans comrades" posts in particular
How long ago was this? Do you know?
pretty far back, maybe 6 months into the site's existence (so about 2.5 years ago). And yeah, it was one poster (brookebaybee or something like that) who would post "I love my trans comrades" every day, and the people who were downvoting those posts got shamed, banned, and then we got rid of downvotes. Definitely one of the most significant events for the site leading to the current culture here.
We had libs before here? Wasn’t this always an anti capitalist hub?
There was a lot of growing pains early in the site's history as it was getting started. One of the big reasons we don't have transphobes now is because they were all viciously banned back in the day.
How do we deal now with reactionary comments? Do we just report them?
You can report them, and you can also hit them with one of these: 
It depends on where the comment is though. Your report will be sent to everyone who moderates that community and if the community happens to be on something like wewelsburg.zone you might just be singling yourself out.
What does the pigpoopballs do?
let's them know that their post was so trash that it doesn't merit a reply with any more thought put into it than a pig shitting on its own balls.
Yeah pretty much. I'm honestly not sure ive seen any in a while tbh (except for at the start of federation, I guess)
I know it was before August 2022 since I was here by then, but nothing more specific
Post-Phrenology post phrenology.
I downvoted this comment and it shows 1 downvote on my end. Is this expected?
yeah it just doesn't register anything on our end. People can downvote us all they want but unless they reply we'll never know about it.
If you're going to dunk on someone, dunk on them. Don't press a little button to say you disapprove.
Honestly I was skeptical when downvotes were removed, but gosh darn it they're nonexistance has made the site culture way better. It's weird now with federation going to other instances and seeing downvotes. It sucks, actually, to be able to just furtively cast your disapproval on whatever you like. I think it causes a real anxiety to posting that doesn't need to be there. Hail TC69 thought!
In which ways did getting rid of downvotes made the culture better?
You have to explain yourself here and can't just be a lurker who still influences the conversations. If someone makes a bad post instead of just being downvoted they'll be met with a wall of mockery mixed in with explanations of why it's wrong. Downvotes are for cowards and can't add anything to a discussion - they can only take away.
Downvotes are for cowards
The Virgin Lurk-hater
versus
The Chad Wall-of-Text denouncer
Yeah, what DoiDoi said. Downvotes existing make every reading of a comment or post combative. It promotes "well ackshually" culture and disincentives thought and conversation.
Like if I didn't like your question I could just downvotes it and move on, knowing that I have voiced my disapproval without having to even think about why. This way, unless I want your question to remain as the end of the thread I must reply -- and I will, because I read your question in good faith and did not come at it from a place of combat.
I just downvoted your comment.
#FAQ
#What does this mean?
The amount of points on your comment and Hexbear account has decreased by one.
#Why did you do this?
There are several reasons I may deem a comment to be unworthy of positive or neutral karma. These include, but are not limited to:
• Rudeness towards other Hexbears
• Spreading incorrect information
• Sarcasm not correctly flagged with a /s.
#Am I banned from the Hexbear?
No - not yet. But you should refrain from making comments like this in the future. Otherwise I will be forced to issue an additional downvote, which may put your commenting and posting privileges in jeopardy.
#I don't believe my comment deserved a downvote. Can you un-downvote it?
Sure, mistakes happen. But only in exceedingly rare circumstances will I undo a downvote. If you would like to issue an appeal, shoot me a private message explaining what I got wrong. I tend to respond to Hexbear PMs within several minutes. Do note, however, that over 99.9% of downvote appeals are rejected, and yours is likely no exception.
#How can I prevent this from happening in the future?
Accept the downvote and move on. But learn from this mistake: your behavior will not be tolerated on Hexbear.net. I will continue to issue downvotes until you improve your conduct. Remember: Hexbear is a privilege, not a right.
But nobody can downvote 🤣
You can functionally accomplish the same thing by upvoting every other post.
the short-term answer is that we basically had lurkers and stealth users trying to suppress marginalized content/viewpoints with them, and we decided to see what would happen if we just nixed them
the long-term answer is because downvotes are thought-terminating and harsh the vibe, and it's funnier when like 5 people jump down someone's throat for posting an awful take rather than just seeing a negative number next to the comment
ratios > downvotes literally any day of the week, they're funnier and more productive
Not many people know this, but Mao Zedong's famous pamphlet, Combat Liberalism, was actually a treatise on why the downvote should be removed from all social media platforms. 
To indulge in irresponsible criticism in private instead of actively putting forward one's suggestions to the organization. To say nothing to people to their faces but to gossip behind their backs, or to say nothing at a meeting but to gossip afterwards. To show no regard at all for the principles of collective life but to follow one's own inclination. This is a second type.
To hear incorrect views without rebutting them and even to hear counter-revolutionary remarks without reporting them, but instead to take them calmly as if nothing had happened. This is a sixth type.
To see someone harming the interests of the masses and yet not feel indignant, or dissuade or stop him or reason with him, but to allow him to continue. This is an eighth type.
Downvotes are just a way to influence opinion and silence people without having to having to offer a counter argument. They pretty much exclusively benefit the libs because they are more numerous, but we are more well read.
Honestly, I only use downvotes either when I am too tired for a counter argument or when someone is acting like a lost cause and not caring about anything that I say.
What have you been doing with reactionary comments until today? Do you just report them?
We relentlessly dunk on them and then ban them. It's a lot funnier than a downvote could ever be.
Downvotes are a bad design that encourages cowards
Because we're based.
Downvotes tend to exacerbate echo chambers, as its used to silence more contrevertial opinions (which is not the same as bad opinions, one has a lot of upvotes and downvotes, the other has just downvotes)
Downvotes are bourgeois
When y'all first federated I didn't know that there were no downvotes over here and was super confused about all the struggle sessions where y'all were just dolling out raw theory against chuds and libs but never downvoting lol.
I just downvoted you for the lulz, ComradeLulz.
You have been liberated, welcome to real freedom.
Oops, just realized you're ComradeLuz not ComradeLulz which ruins my already braindead joke. Apologies for that but my downvote stands.
It makes transphobes mald
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