3 ms·

I would think that, for example, pumping gravel over that leaking area would be all the more effective. You basically just need a lot of volume of some material

by tmsh 16y ago

I would think that, for example, pumping gravel over that leaking area would be all the more effective. You basically just need a lot of volume of some material, and the extreme pressures from above (and gravity) will work in your favor. At any rate, it's not like I have any experience in this. But it's a shame to see people downvoting someone for simply offering an idea. Ah, but such is Hacker News..

po 16y ago
People are down-voting because it's he starts out saying "Is it just me or does this not really seem like that hard of a problem" which is just not true. He then suggests two bad ideas. The gravel idea is especially bad. That's like saying you're going to shut down an industrial fan on the floor of a arena by dropping a box of packing peanuts onto it from the ceiling. The down-votes are people saying "Yes, it's just you. It's a hard problem. Read about it some more and you will see why." Just because it looks simple on Youtube it doesn't mean it's simple. I don't see why you bemoan Hacker News for down-voting a comment that is effectively a waste of time. It's a slap on the wrist. That's OK. Next time, he'll read more about it and think the idea through more before commenting.
- tmsh 16y ago
  If you look at his entire comment, he's asking questions. What I don't like is that Hacker News sometimes discourages people from asking questions, and promotes a culture of one-upmanship, of putting people in their place (or a 'slap on the wrist'). Perhaps it can't be avoided in an online forum. Perhaps it's the cost of any type of voting system that is trying to save everyone time. But it's a really good way to miss the big picture. Any revolutionary solution to any problem is going to sound wrong at first. It's just worth remembering that sometimes. If you disagree with someone, it doesn't mean you have to downvote. This may seem like a bit of a stretch (this http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1350425 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1350425 comment got me thinking about it), but there's a reason governments don't last as pure democracies. There's a reason they kill Socrates and make huge mistakes. The cognitive dissonance associated with 'mob rule' is a very terrifying thing. It's why we balance it with other branches of government, etc. Why we have constitutions, bills of rights that protect a minority's viewpoint from majority rule, in law, etc. Hacker News, newsgroups, the internet...don't have that balance. So the responsibility is with everyone to be even more circumspect, to allow more breathing room, instead of simply reaching for the easy downmod. Or maybe Hacker News isn't a 'classroom'. Maybe it's only for people who don't take much risk in their posts. I suppose there's some value in that. I admit though it seems less honest, interesting and helpful to me as a site for helping startups or people with a startup-like mentality.
  - po 16y ago
    You make good points. I up-vote well reasoned comments I don't agree with. I also up-vote comments that ask questions. I ask lots of questions on Hacker News. I would down-vote a comment that starts out dismissive of a complex problem without having a reasonable explanation. A simple problem and a problem you don't understand will appear the same. We all do it; the Dunning–Kruger effect is a well known cognitive bias. For that reason, I appreciate a humble tone and I use the one tiny tool I have to try to encourage it. BTW: here is the official place to give suggestions: http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/546759/ http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/546759/
    - tmsh 16y ago
      Not to be repetitive, but you make good points too, thanks. (And thx for the info.)

by tmsh 16y ago

po 16y ago

People are down-voting because it's he starts out saying "Is it just me or does this not really seem like that hard of a problem" which is just not true. He then suggests two bad ideas. The gravel idea is especially bad. That's like saying you're going to shut down an industrial fan on the floor of a arena by dropping a box of packing peanuts onto it from the ceiling. The down-votes are people saying "Yes, it's just you. It's a hard problem. Read about it some more and you will see why." Just because it looks simple on Youtube it doesn't mean it's simple. I don't see why you bemoan Hacker News for down-voting a comment that is effectively a waste of time. It's a slap on the wrist. That's OK. Next time, he'll read more about it and think the idea through more before commenting.

tmsh 16y ago
If you look at his entire comment, he's asking questions. What I don't like is that Hacker News sometimes discourages people from asking questions, and promotes a culture of one-upmanship, of putting people in their place (or a 'slap on the wrist'). Perhaps it can't be avoided in an online forum. Perhaps it's the cost of any type of voting system that is trying to save everyone time. But it's a really good way to miss the big picture. Any revolutionary solution to any problem is going to sound wrong at first. It's just worth remembering that sometimes. If you disagree with someone, it doesn't mean you have to downvote. This may seem like a bit of a stretch (this http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1350425 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1350425 comment got me thinking about it), but there's a reason governments don't last as pure democracies. There's a reason they kill Socrates and make huge mistakes. The cognitive dissonance associated with 'mob rule' is a very terrifying thing. It's why we balance it with other branches of government, etc. Why we have constitutions, bills of rights that protect a minority's viewpoint from majority rule, in law, etc. Hacker News, newsgroups, the internet...don't have that balance. So the responsibility is with everyone to be even more circumspect, to allow more breathing room, instead of simply reaching for the easy downmod. Or maybe Hacker News isn't a 'classroom'. Maybe it's only for people who don't take much risk in their posts. I suppose there's some value in that. I admit though it seems less honest, interesting and helpful to me as a site for helping startups or people with a startup-like mentality.
- po 16y ago
  You make good points. I up-vote well reasoned comments I don't agree with. I also up-vote comments that ask questions. I ask lots of questions on Hacker News. I would down-vote a comment that starts out dismissive of a complex problem without having a reasonable explanation. A simple problem and a problem you don't understand will appear the same. We all do it; the Dunning–Kruger effect is a well known cognitive bias. For that reason, I appreciate a humble tone and I use the one tiny tool I have to try to encourage it. BTW: here is the official place to give suggestions: http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/546759/ http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/546759/
  - tmsh 16y ago
    Not to be repetitive, but you make good points too, thanks. (And thx for the info.)