What's with the thumbs down ratings?

Yahoo leaves it pretty open-ended on how to use the thumb ratings, they just say:

"If you think an answer is good, click thumbs-up in the action bar below the answer. If you think an answer is not good, click thumbs-down. "

Everybody obviously has different ideas of 'good' and 'not good', so you'll get a lot of legitimate variation in usage, but several other things can be going on as well.

Some 'avatar games' (illegal here but played anyway) may direct participants to go to a certain section and give TDs to certain kinds of answers (males, top contributors, whatever), which obviously has nothing to do with your answer. Secondly, some users have been known to give TDs to everyone else's answers to make their or their friends' answer look 'better' by comparison. Lastly, it happens by accident - this section regularly gets questions about how to fix TDs given by mistake (you can't, by the way).

My own response to them is to double-check that I didn't misunderstand a question or make a mistake in an answer, then just move on.

Take a simple question. What is your favorite color? (note this question is a violation, but for illustrative purposes here). If you answer pink and someone answers blue, instead of other people answering blue or pink, they just TU/TD the answers. If they don't like your pink and are neutral on blue, they may TD you and do nothing for the other answer. It is nothing personal, it is just away of agreeing or not.

However, thumbs down can be gotten for many reasons, only one of which is the correct usage. Some of the ways:

1. the answer is incorrect or you disagree with an opinion (the only real reasons)

2. you sound over 18 (believe it or not)

3. you support the rules on YA

4. you understand the rules of YA

5. you take the site seriously

6. you answered the question (some answerers will TD all other answers)

7. it was fun (random playing)

8. you are in the military, a policeman, or some authority figure

9. etc -

very few TDs are legit so don't sweat it unless you get one say on a science or math question, then review your answer for a mistake.

the only time I ever provide a thumbs down is that if the guy answering has merely used the possibility to swear or answer in an incredibly sexually specific way and no concept has been given to the question not to show the age of the guy who has placed the question. I provide thumbs up whilst the question has been thoroughly responded and the respond is exciting and considerate. I in basic terms provide thumbs up and stars on questions and solutions that have some actual content textile to them. i think of probable the equipment helps those with very small minds to experience somewhat significant whilst they click on the 'thumbs down' button. although, I admit to feeling somewhat extremely joyful once I even have some 'thumbs up' (i'm loathe to confess this and likewise that i don't care who has presented them!) yet of direction i don't take the slightest little bit of word of ways many 'thumbs down' i'm getting! i think of regularly you will discover that people who provide a intense answer to a intense question merely isn't too despondent in the event that they acquire a pair of 'downs' besides as 'ups'. after all they are going to understand which you won't be able to please each and every of the people each and every of the time...

I don't like thumbs down (to excess), either. I rarely use them ... they should only be for answers that have nothing to do with the question, bad insults, racism, etc. -- not simply for an opinion that differs from ones own.