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I am not sure if there is a fool-proof angst-o-meter for SE yet, but the way new users with low reputation are treated can serve as a facsimile.

My last three questions were roller-coaster rides. Two of the three were met with answers that were then deleted and followed by close votes by the individual who withdrew their answer. I've asked nearly a thousand questions in stackexchange, and I've only seen this happen three times total.

My most recent question (where this happened) also shows two up votes, and my score is 19. This means five up votes and three down votes.

I was also a victim of a serial down-vote session, a kind of voter fraud. The SE system seems to have automatically reversed 4 of the 6 soon afterward.

On the meta question My question is not so well received, why? , two active users here nearly simultaneously posted answers and fired off further comments directed at me under each others questions, while simultaneously posting comments directed to me under my original question. It turns out I had given links to three high quality answers here in English SE for a definition of a term, instead of pasting the definition explicitly, and apparently this is not considered best practice here. A single, simple helpful comment could have cleared that up, rather than the barrage of (now deleted) comments I received under the original question.

Based on my experience, asking questions here is painful and angsty for new users, but that's just my perspective. It seems like there are nice people (remember "be nice"?) and mean people. Pardon my use of child-like terms, but they fit. So angsty and factionated.

Is this only my impression, or has there been some other recognition and discussion of this potential problem?

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    Looking at your two specific questions, it seems there was a bit of of overzealousness and/or literality in the close voters, using close reasons as strict rules rather than suggestions. Is that a trend (or constant feeling) on ELU? Possibly. Everybody thinks they're an expert on English because they speak it. That's like everybody thinking they are dietitians because they eat.
    – Mitch
    Aug 11, 2017 at 13:18
  • The "Eighty-six forty-five" question (which your "another question" link links to) has only ever had one answer. That question has had 15 comments deleted, thirteen by a moderator.
    – Andrew Leach Mod
    Aug 11, 2017 at 14:15
  • @AndrewLeach thanks for your help, I've edited the paragraph. I believe there were two users, two questions and two answers under one of them that resulted in comments effectively coming at me from up-to four directions at once, but with only memory and no screenshots to reconstruct it, I remember trying to patiently respond to it all but not all of the details.
    – uhoh
    Aug 11, 2017 at 14:36
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    As for "nice" or "mean," and the general angsty feeling a new user might experience, I like J.R.'s Thanksgiving analogy answer here.
    – RaceYouAnytime
    Aug 11, 2017 at 15:21
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    @RaceYouAnytime thanks for that! I've been a "new user" on many sites, so I'm asking not about being a new user, but about a differential, thus the "...more than most other SE sites?" But I really like the analogy. Indeed, entering any "new room" in the SE house feels a lot like sitting down with an extended, emotive family that one is unfamiliar with.
    – uhoh
    Aug 11, 2017 at 15:26
  • @RaceYouAnytime It does indeed, thanks! Sometimes I add small reinforcements of the theme to keep subsequent comments from keying off of a minor point and diverging. I know what you mean and it's a nice read.
    – uhoh
    Aug 11, 2017 at 15:31
  • It's uhm weird to see that all linked meta posts have my answers accepted. I feel cornered. Hmmm.. :\
    – NVZ Mod
    Aug 11, 2017 at 15:45
  • @NVZ In the last 60 days there have been about 100 questions in meta. You've posted 37 meta answers in the same time period. Your answers are frequently accepted. Combine that with the fact that I try to make sure to accept the best answer, and it's not surprising that the accepted answers of two out of two linked questions are yours.
    – uhoh
    Aug 11, 2017 at 16:12
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    Ah, fair point. You made my day. :)
    – NVZ Mod
    Aug 11, 2017 at 16:13
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    A barrage of comments? The comments were there to help explain why the post had been downvoted. Your stubborn refusal to even acknowledge that commenters may have raised a valid point and your stubborn refusal to listen to users who have been contributing to the site for years and care about good questions and answers doesn't redeem you. I suppose you would prefer anonymous downvoting, duly noted. For the sake of clarity, I never downvoted the 8645 question, I spent my time being helpful.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 13, 2017 at 5:21
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    On the topic of revenge voting, anytime you believe you are a victim of serial downvoting, please wait at least 48 hours, if nothing happens, flag the behavior to the mod team. Users who serial downvote will normally be suspended. (I would say "always" but I'm not 100% certain)
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 13, 2017 at 5:21
  • I have no idea why your question The 'de' in indefatigable has received 4 DVs. That is crazy and inexplicable.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 13, 2017 at 5:25
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    The reversal action is usually performed within 24 hours, but there's no harm in waiting two days before flagging suspicious behavior. You were lucky that the reversal took minutes, that is not my personal experience. And it would be unrealistic to expect the team or a bot to react so instantaneously. If you look on SE Meta, you're bound to find more precise information.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 13, 2017 at 6:22
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    meta.stackexchange.com/questions/126829/… and meta.stackexchange.com/questions/28756/… ( Posted in 2009, so its outdated but it's still interesting to read) This one was posted in 2013 meta.stackexchange.com/questions/212332/…
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 13, 2017 at 6:30
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    ERRATA CORRIGE "Users who serial downvote will normally be suspended." Not so. Today I found out that users who have been tempted to engage in revenge DVing, or are naturally inclined to be malicious, are not necessarily suspended. In fact, they may even be repeated offenders, the SE bot does not suspend users, which is one reason why flagging repeated suspicious behavior becomes very important.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Aug 13, 2017 at 7:01

1 Answer 1

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If comments or answers are unprofessional/uncollegiate in tone, please feel free to throw a flag. The moderation team strongly supports the Be Nice policy.

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    While not precisely an answer, it's good advice; let the SE system work its magic, (making thousands of people play nice on the internet and helping them learn from each other).
    – uhoh
    Aug 12, 2017 at 1:26

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