X Considers Adding a Downvote Button to Replies, But Doesn’t Want to Emulate Reddit
X Could Be Bringing Back Downvote Feature for Posts
In a move that could potentially change the way users interact with each other on social media, X (formerly Twitter) is reportedly considering bringing back downvoting for posts. This feature, which was previously tested in 2021 before Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform, would allow users to express their dissatisfaction with certain posts by downvoting them.
Downvote Feature: A Brief History
The idea of downvoting on social media platforms is not new. Reddit, a popular online community and discussion forum, has been using upvoting and downvoting buttons for years to help users gauge the quality and relevance of content. When X (then Twitter) tested this feature in 2021, it was met with mixed reactions from users.
Code References Suggest Downvote Feature Is Coming
However, recent code references found in the X iOS app suggest that the company may be considering bringing back downvoting for replies only. This would mean that users could express their dissatisfaction with specific responses to a post by downvoting them, which could help improve how they are ranked.
What Does This Mean for Users?
If X does decide to bring back downvoting, it could have significant implications for the way users interact with each other on the platform. For one, it could lead to more nuanced and informed discussions, as users would be able to express their dissatisfaction with certain posts in a more explicit way.
Jay Baxter’s Insight
One of the X engineers who works on Community Notes, Jay Baxter, recently weighed in on the idea of using downvoting as a tool to improve how posts are ranked. According to him, leveraging a negative signal could be useful, but it would need to be done thoughtfully. He explained that if you simply added up all the negative signals, you could get a "hivemind like Reddit." However, one way to improve this system would be to only downrank those posts that had negative ratings from people who typically disagree.
Elon Musk’s Take
Elon Musk has also chimed in on the idea of downvoting, simply responding with a single word: "True."
Community Notes and Consensus-Building Algorithms
The concept of using consensus-building algorithms to rank posts is an interesting one. It could help X highlight the better replies in long threads and inspire other companies to use similar tools on their platforms. Already, X’s Community Notes feature has inspired YouTube to test its own version, simply called Notes.
Other Social Startups Experimenting with Moderation
Bluesky, another social startup, is experimenting with composable moderation, where users can subscribe to their own moderation service providers to customize the app to their liking. Downvotes may not be the only change coming to X.
New Gesture-Based Menu
Aaron Perris, a reverse engineer who regularly uncovers new app features ahead of launch, recently discovered a user interface that hides engagement buttons in favor of a new gesture-based menu to access these and other actions.
Implications for Social Media Platforms
The potential return of downvoting on X could have significant implications for social media platforms as a whole. It could lead to more nuanced and informed discussions, but it also raises questions about the role of algorithms in shaping online discourse.
Conclusion
As X considers bringing back downvoting for posts, it is clear that this feature has the potential to change the way users interact with each other on social media. While there are valid arguments both for and against the use of downvoting, one thing is certain: it could lead to more nuanced and informed discussions.
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