First, watch this thread get downvoted and prove the following point.

Opinion: I've lurked here a good while and like many folks here am a refugee from places like Reddit because free speech is censored at those places. It's discouraging seeing the Reddit system of upvotes, downvotes and visible post history implemented here because, unless it is intentional, it creates a chilling effect on true free speech and distracts anons and frens into shilling for upvotes (my dog died threads, this many patriots will agree with this!!1 threads, so on) or avoiding speaking freely. Worse, there are downvote gangs here, mostly leftists LARPing as us, who hunt and stalk the most authoritative voices here who had real shit to say. I am not one of those voices but I've seen six fall since first arriving here.

Mods, you tell us it's hard to keep track of and deport the downvoter gangs. So why not just get rid of downvoting altogether and instead try the /pol/ (4chan) system: no more namefagging, everyone is strictly anonymous (and therefore safe, right?), and no updoots or downdoots - every thread and post must arise to the merit of its own validity, instead of a popularity contest.

Seriously the downvoter leftists and fags are more than an annoyance now, they are changing the entire purpose and tenor of THIS ENTIRE WEBSITE. What reason is there to keep the Reddit system when everyone here supposedly hates it, with good reason? Why are we emulating LEFTIST WEBSITES?

If a post or thread sucks, it will die on its own. Suppressing it through downvotes now makes me deliberately scroll down to see what's been downvoted because I have noticed that's where the edgiest and often best stuff is.

Isn't that interesting. Now watch THIS thread get downvoted. Go ahead and allow it. You will lose all your best posts and anons and watch this place become /r/politics. It's nearly there.