It does seem like it would simplify moderation a lot though, I could see someone doing that because they don't feel up to the task if it is more complex. Not that it isn't obvious mod abuse to ban anyone downvoting your post.

You mean the one who hosts meanwhileongrad isn't a great place?

Modlog cites Rule 5, which is still in place.

Rule 5: Be excellent to each other. Posts or comments that are homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, ableist, will be removed.

Which is a bit of a stretch since I haven't posted anything. Apparently a downvote is all it takes.

Thanks for making the fediverse a worse place for people lmao

If I see people seriel downvoting, I'll ban them

[...]

I don't care about upvotes/downvotes

We're all super impressed that you were able to take over such a base subject as "politics" for your own personal... Whatever...

But maybe the base subjects (like "politics") should be for the public, and maybe you can make your personal community literally anything else.

Or is it more about you getting a good feeling by exerting undue control? Because, again, we're all super impressed.

Sounds like you set up your comm poorly and you really don't want people to interact with you on it. That's fine — you should learn how to set up your comm properly so you're not butting heads with people who disagree with you. And maybe, if you don't run the instance, discuss with those who run the instance if they're fine with you squatting on the name 'politics' and not letting others interact with it. They might be fine with it, they might want you to call it something else so politics can be actively discussed in that comm.

Voting is kinda dumb on Lemmy and I think it's only there because it was on Reddit. Voting doesn't give future posts weight, and if you run the comm, downvotes shouldn't affect your ability to post there anyway, and I don't think it would on Reddit, either. But on Reddit, a lot of downvotes can hinder your posting. Lemmy doesn't do that. So personally I hide them, and only upvote helpful/kind posts, and only downvote exceptionally rude ones. And I don't care how others vote on mine or on anyone else's. I sort by chronological. You could have 50,000 downvotes and I'd still see your post in order by time. (I doubt you have that many.)

Trolls are an inevitability. But how they affect you is largely your choice. Stoicism goes a long way online. I'm not saying don't care, I'm just saying give the words (and votes) of others the emotional weight it deserves: next to none. Don't let it affect your day.

Why are you the only one allowed to post? Why not have at least a group of 'approved contributors'?

edit: also please help me understand, you ban people for serial downvoting but "don't care" about downvotes? If you don't care, and the votes are for your reference, why ban them? Genuinely curious.

If you don't care about upvotes/downvotes then why do you act on them? It's not like they matter even as much as they do on reddit.

Change your sidebar to reflect this stance then! This is the height of stupidity! I would even put a sticky post up apologising and confirming the nature of the community for a few weeks.

You are inviting confusion and anger by not being specific about the community posting and downvoting rules. This is the kind of behaviour that gives all mods a bad name.

The great thing about Lemmy is there is definitely room for a community like this here, but people need to informed about its unique characteristics and policies.

I hope you reflect on your mistakes in regards this community and take swift action to make the community's intent clearer going forward.

Maybe you'd be better off making a mastodon account.

Well shit, I always wondered why that community never really got much engagement. Now I know.

Serial