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I asked a question that has been viewed only 4 times so far. But shortly after I've asked it, someone down-voted every post I've made on this site.

:(

I know it's not much of a change in reputation, but it just doesn't feel good when you ask a question, your other posts get down-voted as well.

Is there anything I can do about it? Isn't there any way to prevent these serial down-votings from happening?

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    Sure looks like you have prima facie evidence of serial downvoting. Even with only four questions involved, it verges on vandalism. I hope that a moderator will look at the timing of the downvotes and conclude that the downvoter was acting unreasonably—if not maliciously—and will roll back the other three downvotes. In my view, punitive downvoting dishonors this site.
    – Sven Yargs
    May 16, 2019 at 4:02
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    In other words, the robots should fix it within 24 hours without you having to do anything 🙂. If not, use the “contact us” link.
    – Laurel Mod
    May 16, 2019 at 5:02
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    I am generally speaking an unhesitating downvoter. I just went through your four posts, and by my exacting standards, only one is downvote-worthy (the answer to the question which was closed, for several reasons, though I didn't actually downvote it since it's destined to be deleted anyway). Overall I very much appreciate the care and detail you put into your posts. That tells me the downvote pattern you noticed is definitely motivated and personal. I'm sure it'll be reversed, by the bots or by a mod because you raised the issue here on Meta.
    – Dan Bron
    May 16, 2019 at 9:21
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    It's not a given that the Stack Exchange script would notice this behaviour as being suspicious-looking. In my experience, this usually occurs when five or more posts have been downvoted in rapid succession, sometimes as many as four posts by the same user are downvoted within a single minute. Here it looks like the downvoter at least read the posts. The posts themselves are not that long to read, they don't need more than a minute.
    – Mari-Lou A
    May 16, 2019 at 11:26
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    @SvenYargs - I don't believe moderators have the ability roll back downvotes (maybe SE mods do; I don't believe ELU mods do).
    – J.R.
    May 16, 2019 at 13:52

1 Answer 1

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It's not a given that the Stack Exchange script would notice this behaviour as being suspicious-looking. In my experience, the system kicks into play when five or more posts have been downvoted in rapid succession, sometimes as many as four posts by the same user can be downvoted within a single minute. In this instance, it appears that the downvoter at least read the posts. As the OP's posts are not that particularly long, they won't need more than a minute to read at most.

I'm going to guess that the downvotes will probably stick. That's not to say I agree with the downvotes, but it could be that a user probably took offence to the OP's newest post and the type of language used. The phrases "holy fuck" and "holy shit", despite being commonly heard in everyday speech, still carry a taint of blasphemy. It seems probable that a user was offended by that language and wanted to express their disapproval more emphatically. There have been instances where posts on EL&U and ELL were flagged for being offensive and non-inclusive because they talked about "Down syndrome kids", "least gay", "masturbation" and "tits and boobs".

Like anywhere else in the world, EL&U has its share of straitlaced people but does that mean those four downvotes are inexcusable? Maybe if you disagree with its premise, but we don't know for certain the motivation behind the downvotes, unless the downvoter would care to explain.

Ah, and I'll add one final point, if downvoting questions were not free (because they are) perhaps the user would have paused a fraction longer or be dissuaded from hitting that down arrow.

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    I don’t need to read the scripture to you, you know we vote on posts, not users. If someone was offended by “holy fuck” then he should downvote only that post and no others. That other people commit the same crime is no excuse. Amusing sidenote: I think I spotted a difference in Italian vs American culture in your take, here. You said someone might be offended because “Holy fuck” is still blasphemous, focused on the “holy” part. Here in the US, the suspicion would be its offensive for being vulgar, the “shit” part. I went to the Vatican once, th Sistine chapel is smaller than I’d thought
    – Dan Bron
    May 16, 2019 at 12:30
  • Also I’ve always wanted and still want a big pope hat.
    – Dan Bron
    May 16, 2019 at 12:31
  • @DanBron we can only guess what prompted the downvotes. It's only right that you envy the Pope's fancy hat; there's nothing similar, in age or in beauty, to the Sistine chapel in the US :)
    – Mari-Lou A
    May 16, 2019 at 12:38
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    Next time you’re in NYC, let me show you some Art Deco lobbies in skyscrapers. You’re in for a treat. We lose on age but win on height. Like the pope’s hat!
    – Dan Bron
    May 16, 2019 at 12:42
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    @DanBron I don't understand why Art Deco architecture ever got supplanted. It is the best style of the last 200 years.
    – Hellion
    May 16, 2019 at 18:23
  • @Hellion Tempis fugit, I suppose.
    – Dan Bron
    May 16, 2019 at 18:25
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    @Hellion and Dan; 200 years isn't really very much; even the USA has been around longer than that.
    – Tim Lymington
    May 17, 2019 at 11:55

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