Why do I get the feeling this question will get an uncommon amount of downvotes?? 

I rarely downvote as I think its usually cruel and few people deserve it.  The ones in my book who do are the obvious trolls such as those advertising something, those with a clear agenda (ex. making a group of people look bad) and those with incredibly spiteful posts.  Its important we keep things positive so a thumbs up for you. 

I'll never downvote anybody based only on personal dislike. I rarely downvote comments I disagree with either, unless they're also offensive. I'll help 'clean up' a thread by hiding troll/nonsense/spam/hateful comments that detract from it, but then I'm usually not the first downvoter.

Downvoting has constructive purposes, and they're fairly self-explanatory. Malicious downvoting is an unfortunate side-effect of the freedom, and just like many unfair things in life, it's best to just see them as a test of character. Only upvotes are considered in your points, by the way, so downvoting is relatively innocuous. Downvoting threads has no effect whatsoever, unless you're Canadian and seeing Maple leaves stirs up your nationalism.

If you discount the trolls and idiots (we've had quite a few last two weeks), the down votes would be a bare minimum. I got down voted because I congratulated a couple who were getting married soon. How idiotic is that? It appears that some retard is on the loose here. Also, some down vote because their past posts got down voted, so it's like tit for tat...childish if you asked me. 

Back to your question, I will down vote frivolous, anonymous, mindless and rude posts. Other than that, I dont down vote anyone. If I could, I'd up vote well written posts a dozen times. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so even if I disagree with a given opinion, I wouldn't do anything. 

I will up-vote good arguments and well thought out comments, even if i disagree. Someone has taken the time and trouble to put it down. As louischuahm points out above, some are so good they deserve more than one. 

I rarely down-vote.

the exception being malicious comments that add nothing to the answer. An recent example of this was a comment a poster made last december that resulted in a banning. 

The comment itself was removed, but not without many posters seeing it.

I ignore down-votes against myself 

If you go through the recent questions and answers, there is someone who just appears to down-vote anything s/he come across. I think one can just ignore this type of feedback.

Comments based on over generalization and biasness deserve down votes. Facts are facts and they cannot be discarded by down voting. Else, I think you are just too blunt about everything which I personally like at times but many out there may take it the other way round.

I personally believe if a user down vote a comment/answer, s/he should come up with the counter arguments but here again depends on time one has. For example on a thread, Hulk did today: I am down voting you and here's why? This could be a brilliant forum for learning if we come up with this attitude.

I usually don't down vote unless someone is obviously being an ass or rude without actually offering up any entertainment or something to ponder. 

I think we all get too many asses in China just making stupid comments and not really contributing anything without having to see it on these forums as well.

As above, I only down-vote obvious trolls (although, I fantasize that they, and their posts, would be "harmonized.")

There are good posts by 433h0l35 (hi Mike!) and PUI (Posting-Under-the-Influence) posts by good people (Hi 50rr3l!).

Some people just get so butthurt sometimes, we need an echinacities wambulance

@mikeca: did you notice someone is over here right now to perform his job?
So don't take it serious anymore and continue being blunt.

I usually tell people if I'm gonna downvote them, and why I did it.

But I don't usually bother with the thumb up/down buttons... too lazy.

I try to stick only by the comments. If I look to who posted the answer, I stop being objective. If it comes to a person I may not like her, I ask myself why do I downvote the comment. As long as it doesn't turn personal, up or down voting it will always be fair. 

@louischuahm your just a pimple on the butt of socieity .

I haven't been here long (on this site I mean, I'm not a China newbie) but the few posts I have down voted have mostly been derogatory or abusive. I feel there's no need for it. Probably some troll posts too, I don't remember now.

I wish there were options other than a thumbs up or down, maybe an agree or disagree option. There are a lot of posts that are obviously people having a bad China week and just venting their frustrations, I don't want to down vote them because there is usually an element of truth to what they say but at the same time it may be a little over the top so you do want to down vote it. Those posts bother me sometimes, too many people reading this site don't know enough to read between the lines and see it for what it is.

I know I know, I could always just reply but sometimes I'll be reading it on my phone on the bus or wherever, or just too lazy so it isn't going to happen a lot of the time.

Waiting for the down thumbs .... 

I don't vote often, but when I do I alternate up and down votes starting with the first post in a thread. To be fair, I start with down then upvotes on the next thread I read.  

I don't down vote often. I only down vote wrong answers.

I watch the registered users versus guests numbers. Sometimes there can be less than ten registered users online, but maybe 350 guests. They tap a question into Google and they are directed here for the answer.

I have noticed the global time difference has an affect on this too.  We are all in bed when the guests are all online.

This site is a good mix of opinions, chat, and good answers for people who have questions.

Right. Down vote me. I want to set a flaming record 

I'm not a proactive voter either way...but to me a downvote is reserved for somebody that's obviously either pushing their own agenda (like advertising, scamming or I guess even just some really really unsupported asinine statement, like saying the US shot down MH370 when they'res no evidence to that) or just blatantly shit talking.

I only really upvote when I think something intelligent is getting unfair downvotes to try and balance it out. 

I've been pretty open about how I feel about ESL (being a former teacher albeit briefly) as a sensible career path, which nets a few downvotes from people who disagree with me. I guess in their shoes I would try to mind a difference between saying "ESL is not a viable career path for someone looking to enter the middle class in the West" and the corrolary "It's foolish to build a life around comparing yourself to people with less opportunity in a country you aren't fully secure in your residence" (neither 100% provable, but something meant sincerely and I think a defensible position to a dispassionate observer) and  and saying "All ESL teachers are filthy pedophiles" which is at best mean-spirited trolling and at worst insanely ignorant and bigoted.

If I read something I think was meant sincerely to create a discussion which I disagree with, I'll just try and out-debate that person with my advanced language and writing skills. Form superior arguments with descriptive imagery and bold analogies to drive my point home. Or...change my opinion if I read something convincing that goes against my existing ideas.

I also rarely down vote, but when I do it is always because of a stupid answer. I don't think I have ever voted any well thought out and articulated answer on the grounds that I disagree with it. I recently though was accused of jumping down someone's (notime2lose) throat and being a wife beater (not married) simply because I disagreed with his post and rationally pointed to holes in his "proof".

I usually only up vote either very funny post or if someone provokes genuine thought provoking post.

That being said, I don't care about if people down vote every post I make. I don't advocate mass censorship of any kind. It would be better if we each simply had an ignore option. Then we each could decide for ourselves if we feel someone's behavior is unacceptable.

Another thing while I'm on this subject:

I recently read a post, I think it was has echinacities lost it's way or post or something. There was someone who wrote about this being a propaganda machine and stating some of the user's "Hulk for one, sorry Hulk" are paid to drive the discussions on the board a certain direction. I was wondering, what do the group think of this? Is it true? Do you accept it? Should we accept it? I have viewed this board almost daily for the past 3 years and gotten many laughs, learned a few things, and occasionally been made a little angry (a mirror of life), but I find myself more and more disappointed and have now started seeking something better.