Well, if we want our friendship to be true, we should put the truth up first instead of waiting for the right moment to tell the truth.
And about fear of downvotes, I too felt that sometimes, but I put it away knowing that the author was true to the intent and he will accept the feedback with an open heart.
Yes, criticism, which is rarely seen here. But I can understand it. As many people don't take criticism easily, there is a fear of downvote. But avoiding it is not beneficial either, as criticism is a precious resource and accepting it can help you find out your weak areas, on which you need to work.