[krapp]

Downvotes aren't worth worrying about on Hacker News, nor are upvotes. They do tend to even out in time so that only the really objectionable comments get downvoted a lot (and eventually flagged) but because pg more or less decided that there didn't need to be a standard for either, I treat them as worthless.

[mchahn]

I take it personally which I know I shouldn't. I think others are the same. You can tell when people say "Why was I downvoted?!".

Everyone wants peer approval. Also you get the same feeling you get when you are being denigrated by someone who doesn't have the backbone to come out and say who they are. I say you get the feeling, not that it is true.

[oldmanjay]

Feeling slighted is fine, but it's best to keep the reaction off the site unless you want more downvotes.

[Retra]

No point in having a standard you can't enforce.