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[meta] This is truly getting absurd. The recent, but incessant downvoting of anyone who is skeptical of authority or the mouthpieces of the status quo. What is
by vox_mollis 11y ago
[meta] This is truly getting absurd. The recent, but incessant downvoting of anyone who is skeptical of authority or the mouthpieces of the status quo. What is happening to HN?
For the purposes of this article in particular, attribution ranges from extremely hard to impossible, but the downvoters are expecting the parent to swallow the government's statements at face value, without question? As if the USG possesses some sort of magical crystal ball for incident attribution?
- derefr 11y agoI have no problem with an argument about why you shouldn't believe something. I do have a problem with "vacuous skepticism"—a comment saying purely "this is doubtful and I remain skeptical" is the photonegative of a "this" or "me too" comment: a way to say "I [upvoted/downvoted] but I also want to say words to the same effect to call attention to myself, without adding anything to the discussion." It's an applause light; a magnet for upvotes from the same people who voted in a given direction on the story itself.