[troutwine]

I don't know that I would call a community disagreeing with you -- however loosely defined 'community' is on a semi-anonymous site -- victimizing. Downvoting is not shouting fire in a crowded theater; it's an expression of speech on the part of the voter. Not one that can be responded to directly, sure, but presumably at least some downvotes are an expression of disagreement that don't rise to the threshold of response on the part of the voter.

Brigading is another matter and limit my comment to 'normal' up/down vote patterns.