I haven't read earlier discussions about this issue, so I don't know if this has been suggested already, but:
How about removing the downvote button all together and have a report button instead? Most people don't report on a whim, like they might do with downvotes. More work for moderators perhaps, yes, but this will make it so that if you simply disagree you'll have to do so in the comments and if you agree/like you'll upvote. This will still make the interesting stuff reach the frontpage and the stupid/boring/bad stuff drown in the feed, but will remove the whole downvoting fairies problem and disagreers will have to make themselves known in the comments.
On that note though, upvoting people doesn't damage anyone's reputation/standing in the community/progress towards goals set for one self. You're correct, I think, in saying:
Are we as a community supposed to be coming to a consensus as to whether something contributes or doesn't? What kind of a comment could possibly be so ambiguously relevant that it would have competing upvotes and downvotes? Either something is offtopic/spam or it isn't.
Even discussion posts, ANY DISCUSSION POST expression or analysis or whatever other kind of category you'd like to stick a discussion post into inherently adds to a conversation because it is beginning a conversation. You can't pushing people for taking the first step and getting people to talk about something. Also inherently broken. If we were to strip upvotes/downvotes for anything it should be discussions.
I like this. Report a problem rather than just down voting. Reddit now has a "report abuse" button and a list of problems a post might be causing. I think this is a good idea.
I haven't read earlier discussions about this issue, so I don't know if this has been suggested already, but: How about removing the downvote button all together and have a report button instead? Most people don't report on a whim, like they might do with downvotes. More work for moderators perhaps, yes, but this will make it so that if you simply disagree you'll have to do so in the comments and if you agree/like you'll upvote. This will still make the interesting stuff reach the frontpage and the stupid/boring/bad stuff drown in the feed, but will remove the whole downvoting fairies problem and disagreers will have to make themselves known in the comments.
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