Just a quick question about the way AntiPoints are assigned...

The other day I responded to a thread and in my post I asked a question related to the thread. Then the next time I log in I see that I had negative AntiPoints assigned from multiple users with comments telling me to start a new thread instead of asking a new question in a current thread.

Why do people use negative AntiPoints in this manner?

Wouldn't it be more helpful and constructive to send a private message to a user instructing them in the ways of the board if you have something to say? It just seems really unfair to do things in this manner and I believe that it could cause retaliation, and it really doesn't take longer to send a message than it does to assign negative antipoints. And since the question was related I don't see what the harm was.

Am I wrong about this? If so, why??