Lemmy devs are considering making all votes public - have your say

github.com [Discussion] Should votes be displayed publicly? · Issue #4967 · LemmyNet/lemmy

Question I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on possibly making votes public. This has been discussed in a lot of other issues, but here's a dedicated one for discussion. Positives Could help figh...

Probably better to post in the github issue rather than replying here.

https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy/issues/4967

askchapo @hexbear.net

PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him] @lemmy.sdf.org

6mo ago

Lemmy devs are looking to make votes public. Thoughts?

github.com /LemmyNet/lemmy/issues/4967

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847 comments

If I can't vote privately then I don't vote.
They should put the rest of the nails in this coffin. Go full clique.
- If I can’t vote privately then I don’t vote.
  Then you should not vote on the fediverse at all, since votes have been public since the beginning. The Lemmy UI just doesn't let you see the votes.
- Your votes already aren't private, they're simply not easily accessible (by the average user). I won't get into the technical details but the short version is that every instance owner who is federated with your instance already knows how you've voted. Someone could make a website right now that collects votes and shows how someone has voted or who upvoted/downvoted a post or comment. It's already public information.
  
  It would be very cool to have something like this from a data analytics perspective. Similar tools have existed for other platforms before.
- You don't. You never have. Voting already is not private
  
  That just makes me feel like never up/downvoting anything on Lemmy. I think it's super creepy that the devs and seemingly most people on Lemmy are A-OK with this.
  
  I don't mind because I don't care who knows what posts and comments I vote for. I'm more than happy to stand up for what I think and why I think so.
  Worst case. I get banned from .ml communities for seeing through the blatant ccp propaganda. No loss there.
  
  Just curious, are you a man? Specifically, are you a white man? Because pretty much every POC and woman I know is far more privacy/safety conscious than damn near every white guy I've met who just lives his life with a ho-hum attitude about privacy/security.
  If someone never comments in their regional instance but merely upvotes a post or comment, it's ridiculous that this info should be made public because it can easily lead to someone getting doxxed. It's so noble of you that you're more than happy to stand up for what you think, but I really wonder how folks like you would feel if that involved your home address being targeted.
  
  How very American of you. Me disclosing my ethnicity to you would do a lot more on the way of doxxing than any voting pattern ever could. Don't you think?
  How exactly do you imagine "never commenting, but showing votes" might dox someone?
  My home adress is not on display here. Imagine if pigs had wings. Imagine living on Mars upside down. And how long is a rope?
  
  You're definitely a white guy lol, thanks for the laugh. You really can't see how being a white guy and having the privilege that comes with that isn't relevant to a discussion about privacy and security, really? Like come on, I'm a POC but as a man, I also am well aware of how ridiculously privileged I am when it comes to being a little careless about my privacy and security.
  Never commenting, but only showing votes could result in someone getting doxxed because their up/downvotes could be about regional instances, i.e. their city/state. Why play dumb about what can be used to dox someone? You really think one needs a home address as a starting point to dox someone? Regional plants and their growth stages can be used to dox people who post local photos online without thinking twice about security and while that obviously won't result in a home address right away, breadcrumbs leave a trail. You clearly just haven't thought about this much becaaaaaaause... like I said, privileged white guy that can afford to not consider this stuff.
  
  All you have is trying to insult me because you think I'm white. Pathetic. I'm not American. I'm not part of your little race war. Don't include me in it.
  If you never comment, and only vote, it's not going to doxx you. Your account can be assumed to live in a certain city. That's it. Please tell me how that is used to dox someone. "Shit they know I live in Frome, I'm done for!"
  But now you bringing up posting local pictures. Which is so far from "just voting". That's not your voting doxxing you. That's you posting local pictures doxxing you.
  You really didn't think your argument through did you?
  
  You need to explain why because either they're misunderstanding something or the two of you are using different definitions of private. In both scenarios asserting that something isn't private won't do any good.
  
  As you wish, and probably a good idea;
  Voting on lemmy is not private because anyone who wants to find out. Can. Be it moderators, adminis, or users on federated sites that simply show it for everyone.

847 comments