user17694: We can downvote questions and project our wrongview onto those questions of other Buddhists ?

user106: I don't know whether this answer really fits, but because I've just only a couple of days ago downvoted one answer of you, I'll add my remark.
In that "answer" in question I downvoted not because you were critical or something about Theravadins/Theravada (the contents of your contribution), but because how you formed it as a ridiculation (because style - you were "downvoting" the Theravada by some private perception of some stupidity of the others). However I had even added a comment to my downvoting explaining shortly why I downvoted and also flagged that contribution of yours for moderation to put attention on this.                      
Some more explanation: I've been active member in a german buddhist newsgroup from 2002 to about 2010 and the pattern of putting the style of comments towards "the others" completely blocked any positive evolution in the newsgroup. Even trolls made fun out of this by inducing this style of "conversation" to trigger other (usually peaceful) people to engage in this a-social style of conversation. 
Later in the evening, when I came back to BSE here, I noticed moreover that nearly every question on the screen was signed with your icon - maybe it have been 20 contributions in 9 hours, and I really suspected that "4n4g4m1n" might be such a troll-account: who would be able to contribute to so many threads in such a short time with serious content?
Well, I'm not often here in BSE currently, so this all might have been an unlucky accident and the style of conversation which I've critizised has become more a norm nowadays...            
So - I do not really know whether this all concerns here your question/complaint. If not, let say me I'm sorry for wrong guess. But at least for supplying a possible context for the other readers here my recollection might be useful.

user13375: I was hoping Chris’s answer and your subsequent comment would prove a moment of reflection for you, but I see from your subsequent posts and your slanderous answers that it was not.
You need to stop. Right away. Your tormentor is not someone who practices Theravada, but rather a Mahayana practitioner who wants you to stop doing harm on this forum both to yourself and others. It is quite evident from your erroneous answers that you are a baby Buddhist without a lot of practice or knowledge. You also seem to be quite unskilled in discipline and self-restraint. So stop.
You are causing potential schism and violating the rules of the site and disparaging the Dharma. Take a break, get some water, reflect with some humility and try to use the site to learn and grow your practice or to help others. Of if you simply cannot restrain yourself, then stop posting on the site altogether.

user254: I think I've understood the question now.
No this isn't an exclusive site.
Someone people (users) study one school, some another, and some several.
We (the community of users on this site) don't want sectarian arguments between schools.
So a question like, "what does school A think of school B?", is difficult to ask on this site -- not quite impossible but those kinds questions are quite rare and carefully asked.
Generally if you ask about school A's doctrine, then you should be asking for school A's view of that doctrine -- i.e. don't ask what school B thinks about school A's doctrine.
Often any question might be answered from the perspective of several schools (which I think is nice, one of the benefits of this site).
But sometimes, when a question is about the specific doctrine of a school, then it should be answered from the perspective of that school only.
Those questions might be tagged using a tag like theravada or mahayana or tibetan-buddhism or zen or a number of other tags.
If you see a tag like that (for example "theravada") then a purely Mahayana answer would be off-topic, not an answer to that specific question (and downvoted/deleted).
That is, more or less, how all the several school of Buddhism can be represented on this site -- they coexist, without sectarian arguments.
See also:

The Hostile and Broad Comparisons reasons in the Moderation policies for Questions
The Minimizing controversy section/topics of the FAQ index (summary of site policies).


user16635: To answer your question directly... Yes, we can all downvote questions or answers as we see fit, based on our understanding and conscience. Sometimes — yes — that means we project our own 'wrong' views onto a question, but that is the nature of the human beast. We all have 'wrong' views until we manage to rid ourselves of them, and on this forum (at least) there is a reasonable expectation that people will work with our misunderstandings in a kind and generous manner, so that we can start to rid ourselves of 'wrong' views more quickly and easily.
However, there is a difference between 'views' and 'attitudes' that's important to consider. Someone might have an absolute 'right' view — a perfect intellectual understanding of the dharma — and still be far from the goal because they adopt an attitude of anger, bigotry, fear, self-centeredness, or what you will. Attitudes of this sort often have to be moderated, because these attitudes are infectious: rage will bring out rage in others, fear will bring out fear, bigotry bring out bigotry. Even the best question or answer might be closed and removed because the person who wrote it loaded it with triggers and traps that might set the unwary off.
I haven't read enough of your posts to know exactly where you are coming from, but phrases like "[...] project our wrongview onto those questions [...] like a Mahayana" is a slap in the face to anyone who follows a Mahayana path. You don't have to like the Mahayana paths, or respect their teachers, but active disrespect of this sort says less about their practice and more about yours. No Theravadan teacher I know of would condone his students indulging in such snark both because it hurts the student's progress and because it reflects badly on the school and lineage. If you don't believe me, ask someone in your tradition whose opinion you value.
Be calm and clear. Post from an attitude of compassion and peace, not from righteous indignation. That is easier said than done, I know, but it is best for everyone.

17694: <p>We can downvote questions and project our wrongview onto those questions of other Buddhists ?</p>
 106: <p>I don't know whether this answer really fits, but because I've just only a couple of days ago downvoted one answer of you, I'll add my remark.<br>
In that "answer" in question I downvoted not because you were critical or something about Theravadins/Theravada (the <em>contents</em> of your contribution), but because how you formed it as a ridiculation (because <em>style</em> - you were "downvoting" the Theravada by some private perception of some stupidity of the others). However I had even added a comment to my downvoting explaining shortly why I downvoted and also flagged that contribution of yours for moderation to put attention on this.                      </p>

<p><em>Some more explanation: I've been active member in a german buddhist newsgroup from 2002 to about 2010 and the pattern of putting the style of comments towards "the others" completely blocked any positive evolution in the newsgroup. Even trolls made fun out of this by inducing this style of "conversation" to trigger other (usually peaceful) people to engage in this a-social style of conversation.</em>               </p>

<p>Later in the evening, when I came back to BSE here, I noticed moreover that nearly every question on the screen was signed with your icon - maybe it have been 20 contributions in 9 hours, and I really suspected that "4n4g4m1n" might be such a troll-account: who would be able to contribute to so many threads in such a short time with serious content?<br>
Well, I'm not often here in BSE currently, so this all might have been an unlucky accident and the style of conversation which I've critizised has become more a norm nowadays...            </p>

<p>So - I do not really know whether this all concerns here your question/complaint. If not, let say me I'm sorry for wrong guess. But at least for supplying a possible context for the other readers here my recollection might be useful.</p>
 13375: <p>I was hoping Chris’s answer and your subsequent comment would prove a moment of reflection for you, but I see from your subsequent posts and your slanderous answers that it was not.</p>

<p>You need to stop. Right away. Your tormentor is not someone who practices Theravada, but rather a Mahayana practitioner who wants you to stop doing harm on this forum both to yourself and others. It is quite evident from your erroneous answers that you are a baby Buddhist without a lot of practice or knowledge. You also seem to be quite unskilled in discipline and self-restraint. So stop.</p>

<p>You are causing potential schism and violating the rules of the site and disparaging the Dharma. Take a break, get some water, reflect with some humility and try to use the site to learn and grow your practice or to help others. Of if you simply cannot restrain yourself, then stop posting on the site altogether.</p>
 254: <p>I think I've understood the question now.</p>

<p>No this isn't an exclusive site.</p>

<p>Someone people (users) study one school, some another, and some several.</p>

<p>We (the community of users on this site) don't want sectarian arguments between schools.</p>

<p>So a question like, "what does school A think of school B?", is difficult to ask on this site -- not quite impossible but those kinds questions are quite rare and carefully asked.</p>

<p>Generally if you ask about school A's doctrine, then you should be asking for school A's view of that doctrine -- i.e. don't ask what school B thinks about school A's doctrine.</p>

<p>Often any question might be answered from the perspective of several schools (which I think is nice, one of the benefits of this site).
But sometimes, when a question is about the specific doctrine of a school, then it should be answered from the perspective of that school only.
Those questions might be tagged using a tag like <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/theravada" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;theravada&#39;" rel="tag">theravada</a> or <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/mahayana" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;mahayana&#39;" rel="tag">mahayana</a> or <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/tibetan-buddhism" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;tibetan-buddhism&#39;" rel="tag">tibetan-buddhism</a> or <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/zen" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;zen&#39;" rel="tag">zen</a> or a number of other tags.</p>

<p>If you see a tag like that (for example "<a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/theravada" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;theravada&#39;" rel="tag">theravada</a>") then a purely Mahayana answer would be off-topic, not an answer to that specific question (and downvoted/deleted).</p>

<p>That is, more or less, how all the several school of Buddhism can be represented on this site -- they coexist, without sectarian arguments.</p>

<p>See also:</p>

<ul>
<li>The <strong>Hostile</strong> and <strong>Broad Comparisons</strong> reasons in the <a href="https://buddhism.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1558/254">Moderation policies for Questions</a></li>
<li>The <strong>Minimizing controversy</strong> section/topics of the <a href="https://buddhism.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2106/254">FAQ index (summary of site policies)</a>.</li>
</ul>
 16635: <p>To answer your question directly... Yes, we can all downvote questions or answers as we see fit, based on our understanding and conscience. Sometimes — yes — that means we project our own 'wrong' views onto a question, but that is the nature of the human beast. We all have 'wrong' views until we manage to rid ourselves of them, and on this forum (at least) there is a reasonable expectation that people will work with our misunderstandings in a kind and generous manner, so that we can start to rid ourselves of 'wrong' views more quickly and easily.</p>

<p>However, there is a difference between 'views' and 'attitudes' that's important to consider. Someone might have an absolute 'right' view — a perfect intellectual understanding of the dharma — and still be far from the goal because they adopt an attitude of anger, bigotry, fear, self-centeredness, or what you will. Attitudes of this sort often have to be moderated, because these attitudes are infectious: rage will bring out rage in others, fear will bring out fear, bigotry bring out bigotry. Even the best question or answer might be closed and removed because the person who wrote it loaded it with triggers and traps that might set the unwary off.</p>

<p>I haven't read enough of your posts to know exactly where you are coming from, but phrases like "[...] project our wrongview onto those questions [...] like a Mahayana" is a slap in the face to anyone who follows a Mahayana path. You don't have to like the Mahayana paths, or respect their teachers, but active disrespect of this sort says less about <em>their</em> practice and more about <em>yours</em>. No Theravadan teacher I know of would condone his students indulging in such snark both because it hurts the student's progress and because it reflects badly on the school and lineage. If you don't believe me, ask someone in your tradition whose opinion you value.</p>

<p>Be calm and clear. Post from an attitude of compassion and peace, not from righteous indignation. That is easier said than done, I know, but it is best for everyone.</p>
