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I think sanitizing the community possibly puts it at even greater risk. Look at stackoverflow whose contributors are dwindling due to overmodding. There is lear

I think sanitizing the community possibly puts it at even greater risk. Look at stackoverflow whose contributors are dwindling due to overmodding. There is learning in this comment. You are the one layering on the interpretation of the need to feel superior. That wasn't how I read it.

tomhoward 11y ago
Encouraging civility and kindness is no risk to a community that is at its best when people are civil and kind. The campaign to promote civility and eradicate meanness has been waged publicly by Dang for over 18 months and more quietly by PG and other mods for long before that. The overall volume of contributions hasn't gone down and the volume of thoughtful and substantive contributions had gone up, and for me it feels like a more safe and welcoming place in which to post thoughtful comments. The point of the comment could have been made in a civil and thoughtful way if the commenter chose to do so, and when people do that, there is far more "learning" to be had and we all benefit.
dang 11y ago
> You are the one layering on the interpretation That may be. I replaced "probably" with "perhaps". I don't think "sanitizing" is an accurate description of what we do or call for, though I get that it's a rhetorical way of saying not to take things too far. Overmodding is definitely not the goal—undermodding is. The dream is to get it asymptotically approaching zero. That requires a self-regulating community, which requires a self-sustaining culture. Most of what we do, when not posting "please stop" and whatnot, involves figuring out how to get there.
s73v3r 11y ago
I refuse to believe that encouraging people to not be assholes to each other, and to not shit on people sharing their stories is "sanitizing".
- timrpeterson 11y ago
  So how would have been an acceptable way for the commenter to make his point? Saying they sh*t on the other person is IMHO really dramatic.
  - CyrilBoh 11y ago
    I would start by not using the the Step 1, Step 2 format. To me saying they sh*t on the other person is accurate because to me he is not trying to offer anything constructive. I understand your opinion may differ.
  - chillwaves 11y ago
    Is accusing someone of shitting on another person, shitting on that person?
  - dang 11y ago
    > So how would have been an acceptable way for the commenter to make his point? If by "acceptable" you mean better for HN, it's not hard to imagine a thoughtful comment about the difference between making money from an app product vs. an app-building shop. Also it would be easy not to belittle the OP's achievement (as "empower others to fail", for example, does).

tomhoward 11y ago

Encouraging civility and kindness is no risk to a community that is at its best when people are civil and kind. The campaign to promote civility and eradicate meanness has been waged publicly by Dang for over 18 months and more quietly by PG and other mods for long before that. The overall volume of contributions hasn't gone down and the volume of thoughtful and substantive contributions had gone up, and for me it feels like a more safe and welcoming place in which to post thoughtful comments. The point of the comment could have been made in a civil and thoughtful way if the commenter chose to do so, and when people do that, there is far more "learning" to be had and we all benefit.

dang 11y ago

> You are the one layering on the interpretation That may be. I replaced "probably" with "perhaps". I don't think "sanitizing" is an accurate description of what we do or call for, though I get that it's a rhetorical way of saying not to take things too far. Overmodding is definitely not the goal—undermodding is. The dream is to get it asymptotically approaching zero. That requires a self-regulating community, which requires a self-sustaining culture. Most of what we do, when not posting "please stop" and whatnot, involves figuring out how to get there.

s73v3r 11y ago

I refuse to believe that encouraging people to not be assholes to each other, and to not shit on people sharing their stories is "sanitizing".

timrpeterson 11y ago
So how would have been an acceptable way for the commenter to make his point? Saying they sh*t on the other person is IMHO really dramatic.
- CyrilBoh 11y ago
  I would start by not using the the Step 1, Step 2 format. To me saying they sh*t on the other person is accurate because to me he is not trying to offer anything constructive. I understand your opinion may differ.
- chillwaves 11y ago
  Is accusing someone of shitting on another person, shitting on that person?
- dang 11y ago
  > So how would have been an acceptable way for the commenter to make his point? If by "acceptable" you mean better for HN, it's not hard to imagine a thoughtful comment about the difference between making money from an app product vs. an app-building shop. Also it would be easy not to belittle the OP's achievement (as "empower others to fail", for example, does).