The
opportunity to feel like an late Roman Empire emperor deciding whether a man should live or die with a hand gesture, usually pointing the thumb downwards (downvote) mimicking a stab with an edge, because a murder always boosts ratings, or pointing it upwards, mimicking an erected figure denoting life (for only a living being can stand on its own feet) if the gladiator is too cute to kill.
The purpose of up-/downvoting is to possibly enrage the
content creator and feel like you really did something there. The system is based on subjective judgment, so it doesn't really matter. Some people are affected by the qualitative nature of this system, and are deeply hurt by dislike of what they like, so they dislike back, which sucks them into a maelström of thumbing up and down, in a quasi-imperial inside power struggle within the confines of a digital coliseum, tirelessly standing for two co-rulers in an empire
falling apart, fighting against each other for....... nothing.
