New top story on Hacker News: Ask HN: Could downvoting be required to include a comment?

Ask HN: Could downvoting be required to include a comment?
5 by tuxie_ | 3 comments on Hacker News.
I know that downvoting is a controversial topic, and while I would prefer that there was no downvoting at all, I also understand why it exists. I also think that in HN downvoting is used very responsibly, signaling comments that don't follow the proper etiquette. However, what I don't see so often is a reason for the downvote that would inform the OP of the undesired behavior and maybe give the opportunity to explain, elaborate, or even apologize. Downvotes seem to be "fire and forget" in nature. I wonder if anyone ever removes a downvote after an exchange with the OP. That's why I'd like to propose, could we force those who decide to downvote a comment to leave respectful feedback for the OP? Assuming that downvoting is not a way to retaliate against a user but to correct unwelcome behavior, I think that a comment would be much more effective in reaching that goal. Edit: Autocorrect.

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