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Comments on Post rate limiting based on downvoted posts

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Post rate limiting based on downvoted posts [duplicate]

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Closed as duplicate by trichoplax‭ on Nov 8, 2025 at 01:21

This question has been addressed elsewhere. See: Hobbling of users who consistently post low-quality content

This question was closed; new answers can no longer be added. Users with the Vote on Holds ability may vote to reopen this question if it has been improved or closed incorrectly.

After reading [How] can a user be muted? If not, why not? it occurred to me that part of the problem might be resolved by limiting the rate at which a consistently downvoted user can post.

For example, posting 1 heavily downvoted question might result in only being able to post 1 question per day. A second heavily downvoted question might result in having to wait 2 days between posting questions. This rate limit could remain in place until a well received question is posted, or could gradually decay over time. Perhaps a rate limit of 1 question every 5 days would reduce to 1 question every 4 days after a week, then 1 question every 3 days after another week, and so on. Any downvoted posts during this time would increase the rate limiting, so the rate limit would only decay if no further poorly received questions are posted.

Would this be useful? Are there disadvantages to bear in mind? Should this be adjustable per community, perhaps by moderators? Should this apply only to questions or should there be a similar process for answers too?

History

2 comment threads

Disadvantages (5 comments)
Now posted as an answer under the duplicate target (1 comment)
Disadvantages

Are there disadvantages to bear in mind

Yes, the issue is that some posts are downvotes because they are crossposts (e.g., posted on Stack Exchange and here), not because of low quality.

System‭ wrote 10 months ago

Thread renamed from "

Yes, the issue is that some posts are downvotes because they are crossposts (e.g., posted on Stack..." to "Disadvantages " by Franck Dernoncourt‭

trichoplax‭ wrote 10 months ago

It's difficult to guess the reasons for downvotes on a cross posted question. Some may be an objection to cross posting, some may be an objection to the topic of the question, some may be an objection to the quality of the question. This may differ between communities.

I wouldn't want just 1 downvote to trigger rate limiting (for any of these reasons). However, if there are a large number of downvotes (threshold to be discussed) then the community is indicating an objection, which seems worth rate limiting regardless of the reason.

trichoplax‭ wrote 10 months ago · edited 10 months ago

Although I haven't personally seen evidence of this, if it's suspected that downvotes are solely due to cross posting, it may be worth a discussion of whether something can be done about it. Note that in general cross posting is not seen as a problem, as evidenced by the strong support for the answer in favour of cross posting on Post on Stack Exchange and Codidact.

Franck Dernoncourt‭ wrote 10 months ago · edited 10 months ago

trichoplax‭ Thanks for the link. That'd be good information to pass to Sam Carter, who systematically downvote my crossposted questions.