diff --git a/app/activitypub/util.py b/app/activitypub/util.py
index 080c0b11..ec755ccc 100644
--- a/app/activitypub/util.py
+++ b/app/activitypub/util.py
@@ -967,10 +967,6 @@ def create_post_reply(activity_log: ActivityPubLog, community: Community, in_rep
                 db.session.commit()
 
                 if user.reputation > 100:
-                    vote = PostReplyVote(user_id=1, author_id=post_reply.user_id,
-                                         post_reply_id=post_reply.id,
-                                         effect=instance_weight(user.ap_domain))
-                    db.session.add(vote)
                     post_reply.up_votes += 1
                     post_reply.score += 1
                     post_reply.ranking = confidence(post_reply.up_votes, post_reply.down_votes)
@@ -1056,10 +1052,6 @@ def create_post(activity_log: ActivityPubLog, community: Community, request_json
         notify_about_post(post)
 
         if user.reputation > 100:
-            vote = PostVote(user_id=1, author_id=post.user_id,
-                            post_id=post.id,
-                            effect=instance_weight(user.ap_domain))
-            db.session.add(vote)
             post.up_votes += 1
             post.score += 1
             post.ranking = post_ranking(post.score, post.posted_at)
diff --git a/app/community/util.py b/app/community/util.py
index 4f0e95b0..d2c3df79 100644
--- a/app/community/util.py
+++ b/app/community/util.py
@@ -266,16 +266,10 @@ def save_post(form, post: Post):
         raise Exception('invalid post type')
     if post.id is None:
         if current_user.reputation > 100:
-            postvote = PostVote(user_id=1, author_id=current_user.id, post=post, effect=1.0)
             post.up_votes = 1
             post.score = 1
-            post.ranking = 1
-            db.session.add(postvote)
         if current_user.reputation < -100:
-            postvote = PostVote(user_id=1, author_id=current_user.id, post=post, effect=-1.0)
             post.score = -1
-            post.ranking = -1
-            db.session.add(postvote)
         post.ranking = post_ranking(post.score, utcnow())
         db.session.add(post)
 
diff --git a/app/post/routes.py b/app/post/routes.py
index 4f66b7e2..4d204fce 100644
--- a/app/post/routes.py
+++ b/app/post/routes.py
@@ -88,18 +88,12 @@ def show_post(post_id: int):
         db.session.commit()
         reply.ap_id = reply.profile_id()
         if current_user.reputation > 100:
-            reply_vote = PostReplyVote(user_id=1, author_id=current_user.id, post_reply_id=reply.id,
-                                       effect=1.0)
             reply.up_votes += 1
             reply.score += 1
             reply.ranking += 1
-            db.session.add(reply_vote)
         elif current_user.reputation < -100:
-            reply_vote = PostReplyVote(user_id=1, author_id=current_user.id, post_reply_id=reply.id,
-                                       effect=-1.0)
             reply.score -= 1
             reply.ranking -= 1
-            db.session.add(reply_vote)
         db.session.commit()
         form.body.data = ''
         flash('Your comment has been added.')
@@ -425,16 +419,12 @@ def add_reply(post_id: int, comment_id: int):
         reply.ap_id = reply.profile_id()
         db.session.commit()
         if current_user.reputation > 100:
-            reply_vote = PostReplyVote(user_id=1, author_id=current_user.id, post_reply_id=reply.id, effect=1.0)
             reply.up_votes += 1
             reply.score += 1
             reply.ranking += 1
-            db.session.add(reply_vote)
         elif current_user.reputation < -100:
-            reply_vote = PostReplyVote(user_id=1, author_id=current_user.id, post_reply_id=reply.id, effect=-1.0)
             reply.score -= 1
             reply.ranking -= 1
-            db.session.add(reply_vote)
         post.reply_count = post_reply_count(post.id)
         post.last_active = post.community.last_active = utcnow()
         db.session.commit()
diff --git a/app/utils.py b/app/utils.py
index b3bec172..94b97d43 100644
--- a/app/utils.py
+++ b/app/utils.py
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ def html_to_markdown_worker(element, indent_level=0):
 
 def markdown_to_html(markdown_text) -> str:
     if markdown_text:
-        return allowlist_html(markdown2.markdown(markdown_text, safe_mode=True))
+        return allowlist_html(markdown2.markdown(markdown_text, safe_mode=True, extras={'middle-word-em': False}))
     else:
         return ''
 
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 9a9c9794..ca9ea92e 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ pycryptodome==3.18.0
 arrow==1.2.3
 pyld==2.0.3
 boto3==1.28.35
-markdown2==2.4.10
+markdown2==2.4.12
 beautifulsoup4==4.12.2
 flask-caching==2.0.2
 Pillow