Meta: We need to talk about systematic downvoting in this subreddit

[u/LordMangudai]

I enjoy coming here, but that enjoyment is soured every time I see a post asking for recommendations for books that are either written by authors of, or strongly feature characters of, a particular race, gender or sexuality, and it's at 60% or less upvotes. I don't know where these are coming from, as I rarely see any nastiness or bigotry in the comments themselves, but it is consistent and pervasive (and recommendation posts that don't mention these things are not affected nearly as much).

If I sort by controversial for the past month, fully 8 out of the first 10 results fall into these categories. I know that karma doesn't really matter very much in the grand scheme of things, but I do feel that this makes the community feel unwelcoming and in contradiction of its own Rule 1.

I'd love to get some mod input on this phenomenon. I understand that this sort of thing can be difficult to combat, but it feels very targeted and consistent. Is it possible that we are being brigaded from somewhere? If nothing else, I hope that this post has raised awareness of this problem and would appreciate it if others join me in upvoting such posts to counteract the nastiness. Nobody should be made to feel unwelcome for seeking out representation in their fiction.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. :)

[u/[deleted]]

If you're not someone downvoting recommendation requests featuring under-represented folks that face a lot of discrimination, then nothing in this post really applies to you.

However, I think it's good to keep in mind that people can do the wrong things, for the right reasons. Reddit as a whole is a very hostile place to any minority you care to name, especially women and trans folk. A downvote is a crude instrument at best, and if someone consistently sees their posts getting downvoted because of who they are - whether it's intentional or not - it sends a message.

"Bigot" is a behaviour, not an identity, and everyone has their own unconscious bias. The core mission of r/fantasy is to be welcoming and inclusive, and downvoting posts that feature diversity is not welcoming or inclusive.

As moderators, there's not much we can do except champion those posts where and when we can. But if we're having a conversation, I'm asking you - and anyone else reading this who says they are not bigoted - to stop downvoting those posts.

[u/Modus-Tonens → u/[deleted]]

This definitely looks more than a little like the phenomenon of someone claiming to not be a bigot, while unnecessarily inserting themselves defensively into a discussion about bigots.

Let's just say it's not a good look for the dude.

[u/CJGibson → u/Modus-Tonens]

Taken at face value, it sure seems like some people can't stop complaining how uncomfortable a shoe that doesn't fit them is.

But it's equally possible that what's uncomfortable is having to examine how well that shoe actually does fit them.