I have not made one downvote. I started getting a downvote here, a downvote there, but when I've looked up who downvoted, it's always been a rep. 25 acct. doing it, which I figure belongs to someone with a different acct. and they're just downvoting for whatever reason.
For me, I can only think it must be that I say something they don't like. I personally see nothing positive in promoting downvoting regardless of the talk suggesting that it's good and does good things.
I don't know, but I think the way it is now, it's just something else for abusers to latch onto just so they can be assholes.
Those little ones don't make a difference one way or another.. they don't hurt rep and the power behind them is minute. They are just bots harassing everyone to get worked up... or to confuse the topic between those little downvotes and the really huge ones that get doled out to "influence" opinion.
However, my real gripe is about the wisdom (or lack of...) to employ proportionate tactics...