We've been discussing about changing the voting system and make it as follows:
- Everybody can give a limited amount of phuks ("votes")
- Each user gets sqrt(LEVEL) "votes" per hour
- A user can have up to LEVEL+10 "votes"
- Nobody can downvote until X condition is met and a certain badge is given
- A downvote would cost the same as two upvotes
An example: I'm level 15, so I get 3 votes per hour and I can have up to 25 votes at any time. It takes 9 hours to get 25 votes at 3/hr, so if in those 9 hours I spend my 25 votes, I can still get more for the rest of the day (at 3/hr, up to 72 per day, being level 15).
An idea occurred to me.
What about making downvotes worth 0.5, and round up.
Spam, and crap would still sink fast. If a post gets no upvotes it sinks quick. Even at .5
But it would greatly weaken the 'disagree' button. Usually, if votes are mixed, then there is something worth discussing. Even if it is wrong. But often conversation worthy comments get sunk even if they get as many up as down.
I don't think it would have a significant impact on fighting spam and crap. But it would take a lot of power away from the type that try to fight differing views by eliminating them.
It might also make users more willing to speak if they don't have to fear people destroying their phuks taken because they thought differently than the hive.