HN would be a very different place if downvotes weren’t a threat. TBH I’m not sure whether that is good or bad. I’ve seen many threads go way down into a place

HN would be a very different place if downvotes weren’t a threat. TBH I’m not sure whether that is good or bad. I’ve seen many threads go way down into a place that makes me sick and others that get stifled because the view is dissenting. More concerning are the threads that never happen because smart people know not to even bother getting into it. On average I think things are OK though :)