This should be reserved to fight content which is offensive, spam, trolling, rampant crackpottery, blatant off-topic etc.
Not if you aim to enforce a level of discussion higher than mere absence of pathology. I like for there to be places that distance themselves from (particular kinds of) mediocrity...
I personally made a rule of upvoting any content with net negative score which doesn't deserve a downvote
...which is made more difficult by egalitarian instincts.
I'd say it is an extension of the "Bad argument gets counterargument. Does not get bullet. Never. Never ever never for ever."
It's not. Punishment is different enough from deciding who to talk with. See also Yvain on safe spaces.
Not if you aim to enforce a level of discussion higher than mere absence of pathology.
Downvotes are not the way to achieve it. The way to achieve it is by positive personal example and upvoting content which is exemplary. Why are downvotes bad? Because:
We want to allow "mediocre" people (some of which have an unrealized potential to be excellent) that want to learn from excellent people (I hope you agree). Such people can make innocent mistakes. There's no reason to downvote them as long as they're willing to listen and aren't arrogant in th
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
Thread started before the end of the last thread to ecourage Monday as first day.