-1

One downvote... fine. Normal stuff. Two... again normal (for me it is). But three downvotes for this question?

The balled (headed) eagle?

Is it because of the title? That's the only fathomable reason I can think of. You can't tell me the question is a duplicate, that there is no research, (but apparently someone disagrees) that it isn't about the English language, or that it's opinion-based. So what is it?

What can I do to improve the question? A user posted the following comment

And what is the etymology of "bald"??

And someone has cast their vote to close the question because I didn't “include the research”.

Research
There is a link to etymonline, I summarized the information it contained in the body. I cited Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionaries, and A Middle English Dictionary. The question is a result of fact-checking and cross-checking several sources, I carefully avoided copy and pasting a large number of excerpts but... three users think it's not enough.

I now await for the provincial rainfall of DVs on the main page, because I have brought up annoying anonymous downvoting on meta. I know, I'm sick to death of hearing it too, but it's been a long dry summer and I need to quench my thirst.

NB: Users with 1K can view count votes If you have less, you have to trust me when I say the question has three downvotes.

On the other hand, the 7 DVs for the defeat Trump badly question posted I have no qualms with. It's not my best question by far but at least I know "why" it got downvoted so badly... ho, ho, ho.

28
  • "thirst for knowledge" you understand....
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 11, 2017 at 12:17
  • Brace yourself. Downvotes by meta effect incoming. ;)
    – NVZ Mod
    Aug 11, 2017 at 12:23
  • @NVZ We'll see. When some people exclaim amazement that I am reluctant to post answers and questions because of anonymous DVs perhaps they start taking me more seriously. The VTC because it is off-topic takes the biscuit though.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 11, 2017 at 12:27
  • 2
    I don't think there's a good answer (to this meta-question). Especially since there are currently an overwhelming # of upvotes. Three weirdos.
    – Mitch
    Aug 11, 2017 at 13:05
  • But, whatever the content, +1 on both titles.
    – Mitch
    Aug 11, 2017 at 13:06
  • @Mitch three weirdos, your description not mine, but why do I attract them? Because it is nearly. every. single. time.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 11, 2017 at 13:08
  • In the US, it's "takes the cake".
    – ab2
    Aug 11, 2017 at 13:08
  • 3
    John Lydgate (1370 - 1451) explained your downvotes. Abraham Lincoln gave a fuller explanation.
    – ab2
    Aug 11, 2017 at 13:42
  • 6
    The question has 26 upvotes as of now, why 3 downvotes matter so much? As for the CV, that's just rubbish.
    – user66974
    Aug 11, 2017 at 15:08
  • Did it get those many upvotes by HNQ effect? If not, I think it's already a great question. Forget the 3 downvotes. You can't have everything. :)
    – NVZ Mod
    Aug 11, 2017 at 16:10
  • 1
    Minor nitpick on your N.B.: Don't you only need to have "Established User" privileges to view up/downvote counts?
    – Hellion
    Aug 11, 2017 at 17:25
  • 3
    @Mari-LouA See this comment under NVZ's answer, please. You get downvotes every single time because you know how to ask good questions which attract attention. The better your questions, the more attention they attract, the more upvotes they get receive along with the absolutely inevitable concomitant downvotes. You should not be surprised when you ask a good question which attracts a lot of upvotes also attracts downvotes. You should expect it.
    – Dan Bron
    Aug 11, 2017 at 17:42
  • @Josh because it didn't have 28 upvotes when it received the 3 downvotes, and a VTC for lack of research or for it being better suited to ELL. If there is something wrong, which 3 DVs seem to suggest, I like to know what it is.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 11, 2017 at 17:59
  • @Hellion I got the 10K mixed up with being able to view deleted posts. You're right.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 11, 2017 at 18:01
  • 2
    @Mari-LouA - yes, but I don't complain about that, I think it is just part of the "game" . I do think that, though you may be right, you are oversensitive about this issue, and that may further feed the behavior of anonymous downvoters.
    – user66974
    Aug 12, 2017 at 16:34

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3

Your question looks okay. Nothing to worry.

Within a day, your "bald eagle" question has been viewed 2000 times, upvoted 27 times, and answered twice. Those answers are also similarly well received. All this without even entering the Hot Network Questions.

I find no reason for those downvotes, but 3 people did. 3 people. Just 3. 3. Let that sink in. 3 down compared to 27 up... 3 is nothing. :)

And so is the case with that one close vote.

Also, it's very much possible that somewhere in your four years here, some users were upset by your actions, and they'll forever hold that grudge, and vote down on your stuff. I get that sometimes as well (maybe even on this answer), because I am a murderer of questions and answers, I have closed, flagged, downvoted and deleted thousands of posts. Thousands.

5
  • 4
    Well said, well said! I'd also like to remind everyone of this inescapable fact. Everyone's expectation should be, from an objective, empirical basis, to receive downvotes on any given post, and in fact, the better the post, the more popular the post, the more likely it is to receive downvotes alongside upvotes. It's just the reality. People should really stop being surprised, puzzled, or frustrated by it.
    – Dan Bron
    Aug 11, 2017 at 17:39
  • How many upvotes were there before I received the VTC, about 11. That's not to say I'm not delighted with the overall response, and the two answers posted are top notch, you won't find anything close on the Internet. They are "special" BUT... whenever a question gets three downvotes and a VTC well, hell yes, anyone would feel annoyed, puzzled, bemused. The VTC was the last straw. There is a user out there who sustained the question was off-topic. Let that sink in for a moment.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 11, 2017 at 18:14
  • 2
    @Mari-LouA I have an answer which has about ~800 upvotes ... and like 5 downvotes. The question it's on has hundreds of upvotes ... and 5 downvotes. And at one point it had 3 closevotes. It's all a distraction. It means nothing. It doesn't bother me, it didn't bother the OP, the whole episode was a resounding success. All the grumps were summarily ignored.
    – Dan Bron
    Aug 11, 2017 at 18:19
  • 1
    @Mari-LouA Your questions are, to me and many others, very thoughtful and well-researched. If you care about our opinions, please accept that you have more fans than haters. Do not let the snarky comments or votes let you down. :)
    – NVZ Mod
    Aug 11, 2017 at 18:19
  • 2
    @Mari-Lou Or maybe your close voter wasn't voting on the content at all. Maybe someone just likes annoying you. Maybe they were bored and wanted someone to post on meta to entertain them. Or maybe they messed up and thought they were voting to close a different question. If there is no noise in the data, it is probably completely fabricated ;)
    – ColleenV
    Aug 11, 2017 at 18:25

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