If my knitting journey has taught me anything, it's to avoid taking on complex projects too early in the learning process! The immense frustration that comes from trying a pattern that your technical skills are nowhere near ready for sucks the joy of the process right out of you.
You also answered another question I had been wondering - how easy it is to stop in the process and pick it up later. I'm relieved to know I don't need to reserve a straight 8 hour window any time I want to practice ๐
I really love that each instance gets a choice in the matter, and that we as a result also have a choice. There's definitely situations where downvotes are abused, and other situations where they are insightful - as discussed by the other commenters here already.
As a result, we can customize our Lemmy experience to fit both scenarios just by having two accounts. If you're looking for advice on car modifications, use a Lemmy account with downvotes visible. If you're looking for a safe space to express emotions without the risk of feeling invalidated, use your account where they're disabled.
We don't have to choose one and commit to it. Instead, we can use the right tool for the right job, and have a better experience overall.
One-size-fits-all is for centralized forums, not Lemmings. ๐