Why so many thumbs down for honest helpful answers in environmental section?

Question

I have been noticing that in the "environmental" section of Yahoo answers, people who are giving good, honest, fact based answers are getting the most thumbs down. It seems that there are a lot of people in the environmental section who are just here to make fun of people who really care about the environment.

Why is this? why a thumbs down when someone really tried to answer a question and then thumbs up for some guy who is a smart a** and just makes fun of "environmentalist"?

Answer 1

i looked at some of your answers, and several of them promote "browns gas", which, unless the physics and chemistry i learned has changed, doesn't provide any benefit.

if you read the answers, you'll probably notice a difference in education, and understanding, between the folks on the different sides of the environmental, and global warming, issues.

but all is not bad.  someone has to deal with those folks in person, as opposed to only online.  ;-)

Answer 2

The answer is that there is a group of anti-environmentalists trouble makers who like to reward each other with points for a "thumbs up" for inappropriate answers.  You also find biased/loaded questions which have little redeeming value for a group interested in sharing knowledge.  The tactic is designed to trivialize and undermine those interested in these topics, dissuade conversation, and frustrate those (like you) who are genuinely interested in starting to think about next set of challenges for a new century.

I would also point out, for those wanting to give me a thumbs down because I'm correct, genuine sportsman are  conservatives.  To protect hunting and fishing, we have to protect the environment (conserve).  Why else would Nixon have helped create the Environmental Protection Agency?

Update:  Actually IMAP is incorrect regarding points for thumbs-up/-down.  If your answer gets a thumbs-up, then you get one point.  There is no points change for a thumbs-down.  An individual gets no points for giving the thumb.  So, the trouble-makers are giving each other points.

Answer 3

protecting the environment has pretty much lost all credibility and importance, turning into a political game where you either love the planet or despise it.

Those who despise it don't care about facts, science or honesty. they see "environment" and start screaming hippie liberal agenda

just watch how many thumbs down i'll probably get just for having a screen name like this

Answer 4

it happens in the 'gender and womens studies' section too, where there is a large 'anti feminist' contingent just there to cause trouble and be abusive.

i have noticed it on other boards too, in these two subjects, and in religion and politics as you might expect.

Answer 5

Some are not smart enough to state their opinion on the subject.

I use them when my answer is already been stated,  or a down when an answer is clearly wrong.

In political they vote for their candidate like that might help him or her get elected.

Voting with thumbs up or down is sometimes preferable to the voting section because you have already read the question and the answers and you may not get a chance to vote on that issue later.  I notice that few visit the voting section and many answers are selected with only one vote.

Answer 6

People are dumb and have nothing else better to do .....or.......

people are just to biased. The same two people could care about the environment, but because people are so opinionated, they won't agree with another persons believe if it's just a little different from theirs.

.....People can be.....so ignorant and arrogant.......

Answer 7

Sometimes I'll give a thumbs down because:

all or part of the answer is wrong or misinformed,

it doesn't answer the original question,

its a rant,

it is a cut and paste job with no thought or originality, or

I hit the wrong thumb and can't take it back.

In any case, Y!A sucks!  Most of the good answers are just links to Wikipedia.

Answer 8

I think that some of it has to do with what causes people to participate in Y!A in the first place.

For some people with specialized knowledge, its a way to help other people.     And the answerer gets to feel good by spreading their knowledge around and being helpful.

For some people, Y!A is a way to kill time.  They don't care if their answer is correct or not, and they tend to post lots of questions just to engage other people in conversation.

But for some people, Y!A is a way to vent anger and be mean and rude in an anonymous environment with few repercussions.    By the way, I've seen this to be true for both liberals and conservatives, Christians and atheists, Dems, Republicans, Green Party folks and undecideds.

Unfortunately, this rabble-rousing, while fun for the latter two groups (those who are bored and those who are angry), tends to put off the first group - those who want to be helpful.  

I used to spend time in this section, thinking that my 20 years of experience in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects might be helpful to some folks.    But there is just so much vitrol in between the genuine questions.    It's sad.  

And its not just here.  Check out the religion section, for example.   Or politics.  

Great question.

Answer 9

Great question.... I wondered the same thing. I was beginning to wonder whether there were any people out there who cared for the planet and were trying to engage in adult serious debate about what is going on.

I suppose many of the critics could well be concerned that in the final reckoning on the planets problems (not just climate change), they might have to give up some of the privileges they currently take for granted.

I would like to see something left for my grandchildren.

Answer 10

Environmental issues - particularly global warming - are very polarized.  There's one side that wants to protect the environment, and another side for which the only green that matters is money.

The Environment section of YA is also not that heavily trafficked, so the frequent answerers get to know eachother pretty well.  For example, all the frequent users know that my answers are going to have scientific content and support the anthropogenic global warming theory.

For the global warming denial movement, whatever I say is just unacceptable, so certain people automatically give me a thumbs-down, no matter what I say.  It becomes a game to them.  There was one question asking what 'AGW' stood for, and I gave a one sentence answer saying "AGW stands for 'anthropgenic global warming'".  It was a simple and undeniably correct answer, and within 10 minutes I had 4 thumbs-down.

Unfortunately a lot of people come to the Environment section just to spread misinformation or mock environmentalists.  Personally I just try to ignore them.  Fortunately thumbs-down mean absolutely nothing.

Answer 11

What is truly inconceivable is the idea that your very way of life is the source of the problem. The idea that everything you lived and believed has been a delusional folly; a wildly unsustainable flash in the pan. The sheer scale of our mass delusion is staggering.  When the resources and the clean environment we take for granted get used up we shall be awakened from this dream and the folly will come to an end very quickly.

When you confront the beliefs of the ignorant the first reaction is violent denial.

Answer 12

Because they have time to lose and have motivations other than evaluating problems and solving them based on scientific and economic knowledge.

Answer 13

Who cares about thumbs...  for that matter who cares about points... Can we cash them in at Chuck E. Cheeses or get Marlboro gear... I don't think so...

tisk,tisk - look at the little thumbs from the preachers...

Answer 14

I'm not in the 'environment' section too often, but I assure you that what you describe happens on the other sections as well. That's probably why no points are involved when it comes to rating a question.

Answer 15

all the positive leadership of the environment section have been removed in favor for those who want to exploit the environment .

Already a year ago

Any answers that are about saving ,caring or ,being responsible about the Environment automatically get a lot of thumbs down

To be popular in this category you have to say--more deforestation ,

and  climate change is a hoax.

Many knowledgeable people who used to be here ,and who were in the leadership and pro environment,have left after constant harassment

like many others i now do not take this forum serious any more ,because positions are manipulated from with in,and have become meaningless



Best answers are with held to alter your position ,just now i got a best answer from a year ago ,from my dead account ,and i have had about 60 from there by now ,in the last 2 months (all dated over a year ago)

when i complained a year ago about not getting my best answers in the numbers ,they said i was lying,

When now , i tried to present the evidence of sending in the delayed and dated best answers ,they deleted my letter

Again only about half of my best answers make it to the profile page and the numbers.

>But this is the American way

,it does not matter how,

as long as you win.

And the Environment is not supposed to win

there is too much money in it .

but read this answer quick because the

truth is not allowed,and it will get a couple of thumbs down .

corporations are raping the forests and corporations own yahoo .

it really is very simple ,they only want to nurture a certain attitude ,and eliminate that which disagrees or uncovers the truths

What Dana says is absolutely right ,we long term regulars who are Pro Eco.get automatic thumbs down what ever we say.Just my avatar and name which has remained the same through 3 accounts for at least 3 years is enough to get me thumbs down ,if i say good morning .

here is a nice example Environmentalist has become a dirty word in Environment

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

I honestly wonder why we even bother to answer the questions and this is why so many good people have left

Answer 16

OMG! I know!, okay so im a really caring person when it comes to the environment, and im usually in the relationships for friends and dating, beuty, or mostly here, actually funny you would mention that because I was answering a question to someone ASKING why people are stupid obsessive freaks about the environment, most of the answers were cocky and rude, every one or two would be yelling saying they care, and or course I gave a whole big lecture, basically stating the consequences of peoples bad behavior towards the environment! Typically I was just standing up for what I think is me! I care about the health of Earth!

And you know what?? You wanna know how I feel about that??

Well to answer your very coinsedential question, I p****s me off, god, PEOPLE are ALOUD to care and attleast try to get others to!. Im still gonna tell people to respect other people, animals and living things, and ECSPETIALLY EARTH!

Soory im just pissed!

Courtney D.