[sanderjd]

> This restriction specifically exists because downvoting to disagree is how HN has always worked.

I don't think so? For instance, I can upvote replies to my comments, so it's not they have set up some "you can either comment or vote" system. This restriction is just a nudge toward positivity rather than negativity.

> Highly upvoted comments float to the top and therefore have more visibility.

Yes, but downvoted comments float down and are grayed out. The point is just that the two things aren't totally symmetrical.

(Also I think some of this stuff was implemented years after pg's pronouncement about downvotes.)

And listen, I didn't say "people who downvoted that comment aren't using HN correctly and should be booted off the site!". I just said "I think it is stupid to downvote that comment". And I do. It's stupid to downvote perfectly reasonable comments that you simply disagree with. Again, most people don't use HN that way, irrespective of anything pg said in 2008, or we would see a lot more gray comments, and I would have gotten a lot more downvotes over the years on stuff I've said that people disagree with, instead of comments telling me why I'm wrong.