For me, it’s equivalent to a statement that “I would like to see more of something like this”. That sometimes means upvoting things that I don’t agree with, yet very often I’ll pass over things that I do (such as “^This” - I agree, but don’t want to see more of it:-). Often I’ll upvote nearly every comment in a thread, to signal hopes for increased participation. To me it’s a signal for health and vibrancy of a community to see such.
But other people I guess use it as an “I agree” or “like” button? If that’s you, do you use it sparingly? What’s the rationale there - that when it is delivered, it means more? But with Lemmy so small, why not deliver it more often to help it grow? I mean you feel free to do you, I’m just curious. Maybe you feel it could encourage “karma farming”?
I’d even like to ask lurkers what they think, although I suppose that literally by definition I cannot:-). Then again, I recently became a lurker myself by watching the embedded Loops videos at https://tesseract.dubvee.org/c/[email protected], and I really miss being able to comment or vote on videos to help guide others to which ones I feel are most/least worthwhile to watch. It feels like a finger is missing - I reach out to do my normal activity and it’s gone.:-) So perhaps if someone was recently a lurker, what are your thoughts too?
Reply upvoted!
I like that.:-) It helps to affirm that there are many responses someone could deliver - ranging at the low end to reporting the content and/or blocking the account, to the more neutral simply scroll past ignoring it, up to the positives of offering a reply, even with a (respectfully delivered) disagreement. The latter is not “negative” if the goal is communication, community, and/or seeking out the truth.
Edit: although I’m trying on purpose to not respond to every comment offered in an Ask-* style community even when I am the OP, to allow for room for others to speak as well:-).