I agree that +5 and −5 will feel more different to most people than +5 and +15.
I think this reflects a common dilemma with karma systems, which is that people tend to use them in one of two ways:
Voting based on how they feel about content, without regard for its current karma
Voting so that they bring content closer to the karma score they think it should have
There are many cases where I’ve seen a comment at, say, −10, and I’ve had the thought “I dislike this comment, but −10 seems too harsh”, and I’ve had to choose whether to upvote or downvote (or leave it alone).
My behavior in those cases isn’t consistent — it depends on the context, my mood, etc.
I expect that method (2) leads to fewer pile-ons and reduces echo chamber effects. But it also creates a weird dynamic where people are upvoting things they think are bad and vice-versa to make a more complicated point (what would Aaron Hamlin say?).
If someone were deciding how to vote on my post, I think I’d want them to just express their feelings regardless of what other people had done, because that result would feel more “true” to me and give me more information about what readers actually thought.
I’m not sure there is a right answer in the end, and I’m definitely not confident enough to try to push people in one direction or the other (to the point of calling it “unfriendly” to downvote posts below zero, or, say, “dishonest” to vote against one’s feelings).
Thanks for continuing to engage so thoughtfully!
I agree that +5 and −5 will feel more different to most people than +5 and +15.
I think this reflects a common dilemma with karma systems, which is that people tend to use them in one of two ways:
Voting based on how they feel about content, without regard for its current karma
Voting so that they bring content closer to the karma score they think it should have
There are many cases where I’ve seen a comment at, say, −10, and I’ve had the thought “I dislike this comment, but −10 seems too harsh”, and I’ve had to choose whether to upvote or downvote (or leave it alone).
My behavior in those cases isn’t consistent — it depends on the context, my mood, etc.
I expect that method (2) leads to fewer pile-ons and reduces echo chamber effects. But it also creates a weird dynamic where people are upvoting things they think are bad and vice-versa to make a more complicated point (what would Aaron Hamlin say?).
If someone were deciding how to vote on my post, I think I’d want them to just express their feelings regardless of what other people had done, because that result would feel more “true” to me and give me more information about what readers actually thought.
I’m not sure there is a right answer in the end, and I’m definitely not confident enough to try to push people in one direction or the other (to the point of calling it “unfriendly” to downvote posts below zero, or, say, “dishonest” to vote against one’s feelings).