The mod banning these users is the same mod who made the posts they downvoted. This is mod abuse, turning the downvote button into an auto-self-ban button.
The message is “If you disagree with me, you will be banned”
Monitoring and banning users for using lemmy as intended to signal boost your opinion should be grounds to have all mod privileges removed. This behaviour undermines the integrity of the server and the wider fediverse.
Because community moderators can see upvotes and downvotes of comments and posts on their community. Anyone can as well with Lemvotes.
We can see exactly how each person votes? I’m on piefed.social too and must be staring right at the thing but not recognizing it.
You need to be a community moderator to see the votes on your own community on Piefed.
You can also use Lemvotes to see votes on a post, but not piefed because rimu defederated from them.
Found it, thanks. I replied to my own comment with a couple screenshots before I saw your reply.
Finally noticed the view voting activity option
Thanks @[email protected]!
Today I learned! I’m surprised, knowing what I know now, that I haven’t been banned from more sublemmys. Ah, well. The day is young.
Well ultimately it doesn’t happen that often across the Fediverse. Specific communities that are controversial are likely to take harder lines on it, and big communities just won’t even notice it anymore. Like I only see this at all when its in reference to new and niche communities that, lets be clear, most users won’t ever be interested in.