Remove the ability to downvote a feature request in this product requests forum

that_guy_jt

I've noticed that some people are downvoting feature requests in this product forum that users have said they need. I don't understand why some users should be able to nullify other people's requests by downvoting them. 

If someone needs a feature, they need it. Downvoting by others will lead to an undercount of how many people are demanding a feature. 

It seems like it would be more helpful just to have people be able to upvote a feature request if they have that need too. If people don't need that request, they can simply pass it by.

I can see the need for downvoting in the case of a proposed feature change - some people will want things to stay as they are. But if something would just be an addition to the product, why give other users

Coach Natalie

Hello @that_guy_jt,

Thanks so much for the feedback!

The original reason that we allowed downvoting was to get a complete picture of how a Feature Request impacts our Users. We couldn’t see how many Users wouldn’t benefit from that same feature by only allowing upvotes. While a feature may benefit one person, it may downgrade the experience for another, so this allowed our Team to focus their efforts on features that would benefit the masses versus just one.

With that being said, however, I definitely understand your point of view, and we'd like to get an idea of how many others would like to see the downvoting option removed for Feature Requests made here in the Community. If you would like to see this change, please be sure to add your vote and any feedback as to how it would benefit you!

-Coach Natalie

Flopbot

@Coach Natalie I can see @that_guy_jt 's point.  It does make sense and you make a good points too.  Is there a way to get rid of the downvote feature, but then add a separate button for "Wouldn't Help Me" or something like that?

Personally, I'd recommend getting rid of it.

UrsulaA

I would rather keep the downvote feature - there are some feature requests that if implemented will make the Simplifi experience worse for me. Hence, I down vote them without commenting on it. I do not want to incur the wrath of the masses when commenting against a feature.

hayryn

I get both points, but it seems like if the feature wouldn't help or benefit you, then you just don't upvote it. By not voting for it, it's the same as saying it wouldn't help you. If the idea really doesn't help the majority, then it just won't get as many votes. Either way, if the idea has more upvotes than other ideas regardless of the downvotes, does it still not get considered over an idea that has less votes? If the majority really matters, then the downvotes kind of seem irrelevant.
But I guess it also depends on how the votes are weighed when choosing ideas to move forward on. If idea A has the most upvotes out of all ideas with 100 votes, but it also has 50 downvotes…does that idea weigh more or less than idea B that only has 50 upvotes but no downvotes? Do the 50 downvotes on idea A subtract from the 100 upvotes making the 2 ideas weigh the same even though idea A clearly got more upvotes and apparently would help the most people?
If the 50 downvotes do pull idea A down even though it had the most upvotes, then it kind of seems like minority that downvote outweigh the majority that upvoted. Because you're effectively saying that even though 100 people liked idea A, double the people that liked idea B, the 50 that didn't now make idea A just as important as idea B even though half the amount of people liked it. So now the majority doesn't matter.
But if idea A weighs more, which I think it should since it got the most upvotes regardless of the fact that it had a lot of downvotes, then the downvotes don't really matter.

UrsulaA

I agree with @hayryn - if the idea does not benefit me, I do not vote on it at all.

RobWilk

I agree with @UrsulaA — There are definitely suggestions which i not only don't support but oppose, and feel I need to register at least some level of objection to the idea.

A perfect example is this idea post, which has negative votes.