I have not been on Reddit for 2 years or more. That’s how it’s always worked for years before that even. As someone who had an account there from the 2000s all through the 2010s.

So you are either misremembering or simply mistaken. I don’t like that model myself. Because it can be abused as much as it can stop abuse. Easily allowing someone to block anyone who has or might dissent to them. Helping them spread misinformation, giving it a false sense of acceptance or at least no vocal pushback. Since they couldn’t just block people that down voted but never commented.