X, formerly known as Twitter, is potentially bringing back a downvote feature for posts. This feature was previously tested in 2021 before Elon Musk acquired the social network. The original experiment included both upvoting and downvoting buttons, similar to Reddit’s voting system. However, code references found in the X iOS app indicate that the company is now considering adding downvotes for replies only to improve how they are ranked.
While finding code references does not guarantee that a feature will be released to the public, it is worth noting that at least one X engineer and Elon Musk have commented on the possible addition. Jay Baxter, a senior staff machine learning engineer at X, explained that leveraging a negative signal could be useful and cited X’s crowdsourced fact-checking feature as an example. He mentioned that downranking posts based on negative ratings from people who typically disagree could improve the system.
Baxter’s comments suggest that X may implement a consensus-building algorithm to rank posts. This could help highlight better replies in long threads and potentially inspire other companies to adopt similar tools on their platforms. X’s Community Notes feature has already influenced YouTube to test its own version called Notes. This approach allows users to determine what “most people” agree on as the accepted fact while still citing sources.
In contrast, other social startups like Bluesky are exploring different moderation methods. Bluesky is experimenting with composable moderation, where users can subscribe to their own moderation service providers to customize the app according to their preferences.
In addition to the potential return of downvotes, there may be other changes coming to X. A user interface concept shared by Perris on X showcases a design that hides engagement buttons like “Like” and “Repost” by default, favoring a new gesture-based menu for accessing these actions.
Overall, these potential developments in X’s features and functionality reflect the ongoing efforts of social media platforms to improve user experiences and promote healthy online interactions. By exploring various approaches to moderation and ranking, platforms aim to create spaces where meaningful conversations can thrive while still allowing users to have a say in the content they consume and engage with.