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Thanks for the level-headed verbal answer. I guess I just feel like a downvote is a slap, rather than a more appropriate simple response that states the issue,

by capote 10y ago

Thanks for the level-headed verbal answer. I guess I just feel like a downvote is a slap, rather than a more appropriate simple response that states the issue, or just being ignored. Slaps should be for when people are offensive/racist/rude/wrong--I understand my comment contributed nothing, but why would I get the same treatment as someone who contributes negatively? Shouldn't we be aiming for positivity => upvote, negativity => downvote, neutrality => no vote?

hackuser 10y ago
> I guess I just feel like a downvote is a slap It's not; that's all I can say. I've gotten plenty of them. Note that nobody else knows the score of your comment unless it's < 1. > why would I get the same treatment as someone who contributes negatively FWIW, comments that don't contribute do have a negative impact. They encourage more of the same, reducing signal-to-noise. The behavior spreads like a virus. This link may explain some of the ideas behind how HN works: http://www.paulgraham.com/hackernews.html http://www.paulgraham.com/hackernews.html I hope that helps! Stick around; it's just a different culture with a different agenda.
iihyrrppp 10y ago
I worry that if we expand the definition of acceptable humor on HN, then HN would become something more like reddit. Not that reddit is bad, but I appreciate that the expectation here is to hold comments to a strict standard. Humor is allowed of course, and sometimes it's highly upvoted, but it tends to be humor that is on topic (and so usually about tech or the tech industry) and also as a part of personal stories. People especially have their guard up here because this thread is tangentially related to politics. And like anywhere else, you have to make the right joke for the room, as in your joke needs to be somewhat harmonious with the mindset of the majority (especially if it's off topic, not related to tech, or inflammatory).
dang 10y ago
You should aim for substance. Comments going on about downvotes are the antithesis of substance, which is why we have not one but two guidelines asking you not to do this: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html. Your original problem was that glib comments aren't substantive either, so they're deprecated here, especially when they have an uncivil tinge.
- capote 10y ago
  With all the attention they got, roughly 30 downvotes, flagging, your attention, you'd think I posted the most substantive posts this site has ever seen.
  - dang 10y ago
    Voting, flagging, and attention are no signs of substance.

by capote 10y ago

hackuser 10y ago

> I guess I just feel like a downvote is a slap It's not; that's all I can say. I've gotten plenty of them. Note that nobody else knows the score of your comment unless it's < 1. > why would I get the same treatment as someone who contributes negatively FWIW, comments that don't contribute do have a negative impact. They encourage more of the same, reducing signal-to-noise. The behavior spreads like a virus. This link may explain some of the ideas behind how HN works: http://www.paulgraham.com/hackernews.html http://www.paulgraham.com/hackernews.html I hope that helps! Stick around; it's just a different culture with a different agenda.

iihyrrppp 10y ago

I worry that if we expand the definition of acceptable humor on HN, then HN would become something more like reddit. Not that reddit is bad, but I appreciate that the expectation here is to hold comments to a strict standard. Humor is allowed of course, and sometimes it's highly upvoted, but it tends to be humor that is on topic (and so usually about tech or the tech industry) and also as a part of personal stories. People especially have their guard up here because this thread is tangentially related to politics. And like anywhere else, you have to make the right joke for the room, as in your joke needs to be somewhat harmonious with the mindset of the majority (especially if it's off topic, not related to tech, or inflammatory).

dang 10y ago

You should aim for substance. Comments going on about downvotes are the antithesis of substance, which is why we have not one but two guidelines asking you not to do this: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html. Your original problem was that glib comments aren't substantive either, so they're deprecated here, especially when they have an uncivil tinge.

capote 10y ago
With all the attention they got, roughly 30 downvotes, flagging, your attention, you'd think I posted the most substantive posts this site has ever seen.
- dang 10y ago
  Voting, flagging, and attention are no signs of substance.