Product Hunt comments update: How do you think this will affect the discussion atmosphere?
Today, I noticed a small update on my profile while replying to your comments.
A new button has been added – specifically, the option to "downvote" a comment.
This brings up a few questions I’d like to discuss with the community, because I’m curious (not only from a UX/UI perspective) how you feel about introducing such a system [not just on PH, but in general].
Do you see the downvote system as positive or negative?
Does the option to downvote make people more likely to be harsh or more honest? I’m thinking of Reddit, which relies on downvotes, but also of Facebook’s “negative” reactions like “Sad” or “Angry” for expressing a different stance on the topic.
Should regular discussion posts on PH also have a downvote button? (For now, it only applies to comments.)
One thing I noticed about myself [UX/UI feedback]: I was so used to the "Upvote" and "Reply" buttons that I automatically tried to "Upvote" something and then press "Reply," which used to be next to the "Upvote." But instead, I ended up accidentally "Downvoting" my own "Upvote" with this new addition/replacement. 😅
Replies
It's an interesting addition, I also thought about Reddit at first. However, considering the level of moderation on PH, I don't think it's necessary. Maybe to counter the AI-generated comments, sure, but making the "Report" button more visible would be enough if that was the main use case.
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@andreitudor14 Or to have the label "AI enhanced comment" :D
@busmark_w_nika that would work too!
Fakeradar
It's a mixed bag—sometimes there are really strange comments, but they're rare. Mostly, people try to leave meaningful, thoughtful comments.
Let's see where this leads.
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@artem_anikeev I like straightforward comments, but many people use AI to write elaborate full of moat :D Am I allowed to downvote now? :D
Fakeradar
@busmark_w_nika I think it also depends on a person's upbringing. In some cultures, it is considered normal to “put downlowd,” while in others it is considered bad form.
But obviously, I would mark “inhuman” comments as “downlowd.”
Scade.pro
Reminiscent of the plot of the series “Black Mirror”
My Financé
@maria_anosova im uninitiated, what is the plot?
@catt_marroll Do you know what's the utility of the downvote button?
Is it for moderation purposes or downvotes would actually subtract the upvotes?
Will something similar happen to the homepage as well in the future?
DiffSense
@catt_marroll @rohanrecommends If that happened. Linkedin be like: Hey, can you upvote my producthunt launch. And please DOWNVOTE EVERYONE ELSE!!!! thank you!!! Much karma for you sir!! 😂
Scade.pro
@catt_marroll @rohanrecommends @sentry_co 😂
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@maria_anosova What was the plot? 👀
Scade.pro
@busmark_w_nika @catt_marroll
Charlie Brooker's series is structured as an anthology. Each episode is a separate, self-contained story. Despite the fact that the genre is science fiction, many fans note that the plots from the episodes later come to life. A striking example is the first episode of the third season, “Downhill,” filmed in 2016. It is the story of a girl who goes to the wedding of a successful friend to raise her social rating: the lower this number is, the more difficult it is to buy an apartment or a car. A person with a low rating is an outcast; they will not sell them plane tickets, and taxi drivers will refuse to take them.
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@catt_marroll @maria_anosova I think that I remember something like that. I think that I would be homeless in that episode if I was any charactre lol :DDd
Scade.pro
@catt_marroll @busmark_w_nika Yes, there was a homeless woman who chose to simply enjoy life, without being tied to voting (she had 0 points and was happy).
FuseBase
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@kate_ramakaieva I will only upvote! :D
App Finder
@kate_ramakaieva @busmark_w_nika Is the downvote count shown separately, or is it subtracted from the upvote count like on Reddit? Just downvoted your comment to check. I see no count, but maybe that's because I downvoted it. Does it show for others? And do you get a notification?
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@kate_ramakaieva @konrad_sx Actually, I haven't noticed any downvote notifications but I like how we are testing it :D
IXORD
When I replied to your previous post, I accidentally clicked "Downvote," and I was surprised that they added that feature. I hope it won’t affect my stats on PH, like Reddit’s karma does.
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@ixord Probably will. When one guy mentioned that, it would make sense.
@busmark_w_nika Today I noticed the new downvote option and it surprised me 😅. At Product Hunt, people usually aim to keep things positive ✨, and in real conversations, context and replies often work better than a silent ‘thumbs down’ 👎. Since PH already allows reporting 📝 for spam or low-effort content, the downvote button feels a bit redundant 🙃 — it seems more likely to be used for disagreement than its intended purpose.
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@1001binary We will see after testing it :)
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@manu_goel2 I am curious whether it takes kitty points down and what happens when someone is a newbie and doesn't have any kitty points, and his/her comments are downvoted. 🤔
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@byalexai We need to see this first in practice. To be honest, I am lacking the button of the Report that is more informative.
Agreed, @busmark_w_nika.
I think it's a bit unfair to introduce a downvoting mechanism here on PH. We never needed it in the first place.
Because a downvote screams, "Hey, I don't like it" or "Hey, I don't agree". PH is above and beyond such stuff.
And dissent is better expressed through words, and not buttons. We, at PH, learn through interactions but how will we if there's a dislike without explanation.
For unacceptable things, we always had that tiny report button anyway. Now, there will be just hesitation after hesitation...
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@ashok_nayakMaybe they just test it.
I don't quite understand the value either, tbh. Product Hunt is already strictly moderated, so comments are either meaningful or at least innocuous when published. Besides, we have an option to flag spam or any other inappropriate content, keeping everything clean and tidy.
Personally, I just won't upvote a comment I disagree with or will comment back to speak up as well. These downvotes might come across as offensive or making me feel dumb for adding "silly" comments if someone took their time to downvote them...
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@helga_impalpable I do not use a smartphone, so I am lacking any improvements for the mobile app :D Re: Downvotes. When someone disregards my comment, I would be curious about the reason.
@busmark_w_nika exactly! I'll be dying to know who did that and why 😄
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@helga_impalpable Guessing the reason for the downvotes is a new game :D