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What do two up/downvote numbers mean?

Edit: Thank you very much R. Martinho Fernandes for your gracious and simple answer.

I don't know whether other answerer's number of 1000 is correct. I've only just reached 2000 three days ago.

I don't know what "Established users are those who have been participating on the site for a fair amount of time"# really means. But I guess it includes me. Edit: Looking at R's reference https://meta.stackoverflow.com/privileges/established-user, it seems to need 8000, which definitely ***ex***cludes me.)

But why does this simple newbie question from me get -8 votes, while the leading answerer gets +15?

  • (Maybe I should stay out of the kitchen?)
  • (Or perhaps I`m putting up my hand and asking Teach! Teach!?)
  • (Or should I RTFM?)
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  • 3
    It's the upvote and downvote totals.
    – asawyer
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 18:40
  • 2
    Huh? +0/-3 = -3? What part are you not understanding?
    – Mysticial
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 18:40
  • @Mystical: Which number is correct: 0 or -3? Why are there two numbers? Where can I RTFM?
    – Joseph Quinsey
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 18:44
  • The green one are upvotes, the red one are downvotes. The total score of a question is the sum of both (-3, in this case).
    – Etienne de Martel
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 18:47
  • 0/-3 on 0/-3...how meta as moot points out. ... till someone ruined it.
    – Nick T
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 19:00
  • 2
    Meta SO users aren't immune to the "downvoting things because they seem too easy/simple/obvious to the downvoter" syndrome. I wouldn't worry about it too much... Meta rep isn't much use.
    – Pops
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 19:09
  • 7
    As for the downvotes here, I know it sting. Got downvoted on my first post on Meta and remember how it feels like. But like a mosquito bite, it pass quickly and you come to learn it's not the end of the world. You might get a minor burn from a hot cooking pot once in a while, but it doesn't mean you can't keep cooking! :)
    – Shadow Wizard
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 19:26
  • 8
    @JosephQuinsey Stop editing the question to reply to people, add entirely separate additional questions, or comment on the thread in general. New questions should be posted in a new question, and when replying to someone post a comment.
    – Servy
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 19:39
  • 1
    Does anyone find this exchange unfair
    – Joseph Quinsey
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 22:53
  • @Joseph why unfair? Did you read my previous comment here?
    – Shadow Wizard
    Commented Nov 1, 2012 at 18:07
  • 1
    Relevant: How do I participate in Meta and not die trying?.
    – Joseph Quinsey
    Commented Mar 25, 2018 at 1:47

2 Answers 2

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Those numbers are the number of upvotes, in green, and the number of downvotes, in red. You can get that view if you click on the post score. You can read the fine manual in the list of privileges for established users.

Voting scores, as displayed, are the sum of the up and down votes on a post. Vote counts are the individual up and down votes that make up the score.

You can view the vote counts by clicking on the score of a post. This will break the score into upvotes and downvotes, like so:

vote count click

The upvotes have a plus sign next to them and are displayed as the top number, in green. The downvotes have a negative sign next to them and are displayed as the bottom number, in red.

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20

The ability to see how votes are split on a post is granted when you hit 1000 reputation on a site. The top number is upvotes. The bottom number is downvotes. Hover your mouse over the split votes and it explains (0 up / 3 down).

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  • 6
    And to illustrate the point, have a downv....nah, that would be mean
    – Bart
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 18:42
  • @Bart: I've already had a two downvotes!
    – Joseph Quinsey
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 18:47
  • 1
    @Bart I have more Meta rep than I know what to do with. I can stand to take a downvote for science. :)
    – Bill the Lizard
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 18:47
  • Haha, well, there you go I guess. Wasn't me, but someone is interested in science :)
    – Bart
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 18:50
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    Moot point guys, he doesn't have enough rep to see the two numbers on meta.
    – asawyer
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 18:54
  • @asawyer ...I don't think either of us was really trying to make a point there...
    – Bart
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 19:38
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    @asawyer WE DON'T CARE, SCIENCE DOESN'T CARE
    – juan
    Commented Oct 31, 2012 at 21:28

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