Thanks for taking the time out of your days to address my concerns (all). I feel a lot better about things now. We're all good!
(On this side topic about down-votes being optional in the news section, since I don't think I've weighed in on that topic directly before, without getting into an actual convo on the topic here, I would just like to causally register my opposition to the thumbs-down option. I mean just as someone who's been on the receiving end of it before, it definitely feels different -- worse and more discouraging -- to be affirmatively down-voted than it does to just not be up-voted. The inclusion of options like that I think pressures people to steer themselves away from offering unpopular opinions at all. I would also be up for what Hiku suggested about making it so we can see WHO up-voted (or down-voted if we really have to keep that option there) which posts because, to be honest, there are some people around who's opinions I simply don't care about and will discount on sight if I know it's their vote. Like I said, not trying to get into a whole convo about that, as yeah, it would be better had in another thread, but just as a standalone remark, wanted to register my opinion without further debating it here.)