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.
It is, but yes, the most reasonable thing is to wait for a second downvote, or a third, or use time base grouping of downvotes, or opening the post to downvote comments. The signal that is most important to me is someone who DOES NOT LIKE THE COMMUNITY, all i care about is not excluding people who would participate in the community. For example downvoting a post, then opening the post and down voting comments, clear bad fit signal.
Not as of yet, I’ve suggested it to the lem votes person, but you know how time is.