Agree 100%, all downvotes need to have a qualifying reason for the downvote. even if it is the snarky downvoted for excessive reward. That way normal users can see and decide what to do about the downvoter.
If a bot can leave a stupid I upvoted your post comment then it can leave a I downvoted your post comment, just as easily.
I once suggested that all down votes should require a comment as to why they felt it needed to be flagged so abusers who made that post the community could downvote them if they have seen that as abuse.
Also, it would spark up a conversation as well in which people could communicate.
It could if it wasn't for the retaliation culture on this platform. Just try giving some token 1% dust sized down vote to a few posts and see how many 100% full sized retaliation down votes you get in return. No comments means no handles for retaliation.
No comments means the ability to create a lot of bots or to increase the size of a bot army, just for the simple purpose of downvoting. Will it happen, no one really knows, does it happen on youtube, facebook, twitter, and other sites? yes.
Will the annoying little rep25 continue to downvote, yes, if they had to leave a comment would they continue to downvote yes. The serial downvoters will take full advatage of any advatage they are given.
They will no doubt get their increase in downvote activity, will it have any different effect than it does now, not likely. Are the large stake holders going to do any downvoting? not likely. So net change, advantage serial troll flaggers.
Are the large stake holders going to do any downvoting? not likely.
Maybe on trending, or against each other, but that's probably as far as that goes.
This is the reason I don't downvote as sooner or later I will have my account destroyed in retaliation if I did. I'd like to see that change, anonymous downvoting maybe?
Well, nothing would more encourage malicious downvoters than anonymity. At least visible sourcing allows the social stigma to discourage folks that would otherwise downvote. It's kind of a toss up.
Profit maximizing is so big that some people get mad if you give them (snipe them, rather) with a 1% vote.