Initially downvoted because I disliked your reason, then on reconsideration decided this merely discourages you from disclosing your reason, and does nothing to discourage you from downvoting for that reason, so retracted.
ETA: This comment was added to spread the information encapsulated here, that downvoting reasons-for-downvoting that we disagree with only results in a less transparent system which conveys less information overall, without actually changing anybody’s upvoting or downvoting habits.
Conveying less information is good. Too much “information” is spam. I would rather have unexplained downvotes and fewer wasted comments explaining them.
I approve of downvoting gratuitous crudeness, crude terminology and slang. I do not think that any of these things help make people’s beliefs more reasonable. And I think it is quite plausible that they make people’s beliefs less reasonable, in much the way that some people say that dirt and immorality have a real association.
Well, I don’t know that slang is a problem, but I think it is likely to be one.
This gives me reason to think that using slang is either likely to help people think more rationally, or to cause a slight tendency to think less rationally. Given actually existing correlations, at least those that I perceive, I think the latter more likely than the former.
Downvoted for gratuitous crudeness.
Initially downvoted because I disliked your reason, then on reconsideration decided this merely discourages you from disclosing your reason, and does nothing to discourage you from downvoting for that reason, so retracted.
ETA: This comment was added to spread the information encapsulated here, that downvoting reasons-for-downvoting that we disagree with only results in a less transparent system which conveys less information overall, without actually changing anybody’s upvoting or downvoting habits.
Conveying less information is good. Too much “information” is spam. I would rather have unexplained downvotes and fewer wasted comments explaining them.
Upvoted for OrphanWilde’s reason, and upvoted OrphanWilde for OrphanWilde’s reason/analysis.
Initially tempted to downvote for gratuitous prudeness and provide negative reinforcement against crude terminology and slang.
Edit: removed upvote. Why should I be upvoting this just because my initial thoughts to downvote were wrong? haha.
I approve of downvoting gratuitous crudeness, crude terminology and slang. I do not think that any of these things help make people’s beliefs more reasonable. And I think it is quite plausible that they make people’s beliefs less reasonable, in much the way that some people say that dirt and immorality have a real association.
Why do you think slang is a problem?
I can see down-voting the comment under discussion because it includes a gratuitous insult, but that’s a slightly different issue.
Well, I don’t know that slang is a problem, but I think it is likely to be one.
This gives me reason to think that using slang is either likely to help people think more rationally, or to cause a slight tendency to think less rationally. Given actually existing correlations, at least those that I perceive, I think the latter more likely than the former.