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Example: Why did this deserve 2 downvotes: "I failed my first 2 tech interviews and Google and Snapchat leaving me feeling cheated by the dumbass whiteboard. W

Example: Why did this deserve 2 downvotes: "I failed my first 2 tech interviews and Google and Snapchat leaving me feeling cheated by the dumbass whiteboard. Whiteboard tests are tailor-made for the inside the book thinkers. The ones that stop learning when the chapter ends and soon forget when the next subject begins. Computers are the thing that gets you to the thing. You want people who can see that the software they are working has a broader impact beyond 1s and 0s."

detaro 9y ago
Some theories: negative emotional language ("dumbass") doesn't fare well. People who have no difficulties with whiteboard tests easily could treat it as an insult. Your PS on that comment might come across as petty bragging. Generally I'd say unless you regularly get downvoted or it's a lot of downvotes don't worry too much, while it is a signal it certainly has noise.
- blackflame7000 9y ago
  Oh so because I hurt the whiteboards feelings that were sufficient to trigger you? I am a CTO so it ain't bragging if you can back it up. It seems like we have either easily offended who believe objects lives matter, or people or people with a deep sense of inadequacy when compared with there peers on this website.
  - detaro 9y ago
    I'm not "triggered", no (not a fan of whiteboard interviews), but that's exactly the kind of language that will catch you downvotes. And I explicitly said "insulting to people good at whiteboard interviews", not objects (your comment could be read as dismissing them all as book-thinkers without actual skills). Given the amount of people on HN from companies that do this kind of thing, it only takes a tiny percentage to feel that way to downvote you a few times.
    - blackflame7000 9y ago
      So then you admit that downvoting comes from people, who use their personal feelings of resentment to stifle thought. Exactly my point. All I want to do is talk tech without having to tiptoe around invisible peoples feelings. This is a microcosm of why silicon valley sucks.
      - eropple 9y ago
        That you have written rude and, frankly, kinda shitty posts through this thread is why I have downvoted you. I am not "triggered"; I'm a straight white dude who's had an easy life, I don't have any "triggers". I'm not offended; what you're posting is nowhere near novel enough to forge new pathways where I could be offended. My thought process is this: "wow, that dude's being a jerk, I don't want that sort of behavior here--downvote." That's all. And, worse: when told, by multiple people who are being polite to you, you lose it and start frothing about why they're wrong. The crowd makes that call here, for better or for worse--neither you nor I do. But I did add my voice to it and downvote you, because I don't think your behavior here is good behavior.
        blackflame7000 9y ago
        So again, you don't care about substance, only presentation. Got it. I am the opposite, however, I don't get a voice because while I probably have 1000 lifetime upvotes I have about 650 downvotes. But that makes it look like only half the time I'm right when in reality there's a decent number of people like you who discredit my online reputation because of my personal nature. In my work culture, things that upset you wouldn't even have registered so it's frustrating that I have to conform to Joe Smiths idea of proper while he prevents the mob rule from turning on him through downvoting heretical thoughts all-the-while having nothing to do with the core principles of what this website is for.
        eropple 9y ago
        I care quite a lot about substance. I care also about politeness. I care about treating people with compassion and decency. It is very possible to care both about an argument and the people both making and receiving that argument. And, frankly? It is telling that you would refer to politeness derogatorily as presentation. But I understand that--and because I have been in your shoes before I grew up a tiny bit, I will call you on this--you think it lets you minimize your bad behavior. So I will decline to let you off the hook without emphasizing: your behavior is pretty bad right now. It's not about "heretical thoughts." This is just and solely about you being a jerk. You're whining about people trying to shut down your Grand Ideas or whatever...when it's really just that nobody wants to listen to a jerk. So I downvoted you in this thread (though obviously I can't downvote the post to which I am replying), and will continue to do so if I happen to read your post and go "man, what a jerk he's being!". But to put a preemptive pin in the balloon, it's not because of you, I will probably forget your handle after this conversation--it's because I try to always downvote people who are being jerks! It's too bad, because you don't sound stupid and (having taken a look) some of your post history seems interesting; I'm sure that you have some generally cool things you could be saying. But you also sound like a lot of your identity is tied up in being a jerk. That's your choice, but it doesn't tend to play well around here. The good news? There's a reason that I said "being a jerk", not "are a jerk"; being a jerk is a choice and you can stop being a jerk at any time. I recommend it.
  - IntronExon 9y ago
    I’m guessing that you have problems with people offline as much as online, assuming that this is your standard of behavior. Maybe you should consider that your overly brash and confrontational tone simply isn’t working for you.
    - blackflame7000 9y ago
      Or maybe, everyone on this article has proven exactly the main point of the article. Because no one has discussed the technical merits of the advice I offered, only how they interpreted my tone via text to be too harsh for their sensitive standards. It proves my point that this site downvotes not based on wrong ideas, but rather disliked ideas. And that is something I wont be a part of any longer.
      - IntronExon 9y ago
        You didn’t ask for technical interpretation, you asked why you keep getting negative feedback. A number of people have pointed you in the direction of “why” and your response is to blame everyone except yourself. That’s... pathological.
      - blackflame7000 9y ago
        Right and so now I know that calling inanimate objects such as a whiteboard will invalidate any further knowledge I have to share. I could cure cancer but if I said, it was a bitch of a problem people on this site would go whoaaaaa dude negative 10 karmas for you. Isn't that sad? That's why I think the thumbs down button is a bad idea, just let the best ideas get the most rankings. Get rid of the 5+ year council of poeple that make it insane for others to get anything. I'll posts some good articles, make some insightful comments, and then someone will have a bad day and decide to erase all my good deeds. Thats super fun
- sharemywin 9y ago
  Another theory: Your comments are filled with opinionated arrogance. That aren't backed up with any facts. Basically, the unwritten rules is the more opinionated your comment(especially if it isn't in the norm) the more you need to back it up with facts or even links to sources. Also, I've gotten my share of down votes. But, usually it gets re-upvoted once enough people see it down voted. if it's not a "worthless comment" or extreme opinion without some kind of argument to back it up.
  - sharemywin 9y ago
    Ask yourself this->Is my comment actually useful to other people? or just me spouting off my greatness... Most of my down-votes are from the later. or my dark sense of sarcasm, but that's a personal issue of mine.
    - blackflame7000 9y ago
      For people who failed their first interviews, it gives them hope they can be a CTO in 5 years. Hows that for being helpful? Again, it seems like you are just projecting insecurities at me and what I have accomplished by calling me arrogant instead of successful.
      - detaro 9y ago
        And you could have transported that message without all the negative fluff and (probably, as I said, there is noise) without downvotes.
      - blackflame7000 9y ago
        My god how do you go outside with a sensitivity level that high?
        DamonHD 9y ago
        Is there any need to go on being this rude? It simply does not help. I spent a LONG time working with "Big Swinging Dicks" (the wrong sort of BSD for HN maybe?) in finance in London (and New York and Tokyo), and the loudest rudest ones were not the ones best at their jobs. When even the IT guy can tell that you are about to do several megabucks of screwup, bad-mouthing other people is just digging the hole deeper, for example.

detaro 9y ago

Some theories: negative emotional language ("dumbass") doesn't fare well. People who have no difficulties with whiteboard tests easily could treat it as an insult. Your PS on that comment might come across as petty bragging. Generally I'd say unless you regularly get downvoted or it's a lot of downvotes don't worry too much, while it is a signal it certainly has noise.

blackflame7000 9y ago
Oh so because I hurt the whiteboards feelings that were sufficient to trigger you? I am a CTO so it ain't bragging if you can back it up. It seems like we have either easily offended who believe objects lives matter, or people or people with a deep sense of inadequacy when compared with there peers on this website.
- detaro 9y ago
  I'm not "triggered", no (not a fan of whiteboard interviews), but that's exactly the kind of language that will catch you downvotes. And I explicitly said "insulting to people good at whiteboard interviews", not objects (your comment could be read as dismissing them all as book-thinkers without actual skills). Given the amount of people on HN from companies that do this kind of thing, it only takes a tiny percentage to feel that way to downvote you a few times.
  - blackflame7000 9y ago
    So then you admit that downvoting comes from people, who use their personal feelings of resentment to stifle thought. Exactly my point. All I want to do is talk tech without having to tiptoe around invisible peoples feelings. This is a microcosm of why silicon valley sucks.
    - eropple 9y ago
      That you have written rude and, frankly, kinda shitty posts through this thread is why I have downvoted you. I am not "triggered"; I'm a straight white dude who's had an easy life, I don't have any "triggers". I'm not offended; what you're posting is nowhere near novel enough to forge new pathways where I could be offended. My thought process is this: "wow, that dude's being a jerk, I don't want that sort of behavior here--downvote." That's all. And, worse: when told, by multiple people who are being polite to you, you lose it and start frothing about why they're wrong. The crowd makes that call here, for better or for worse--neither you nor I do. But I did add my voice to it and downvote you, because I don't think your behavior here is good behavior.
      - blackflame7000 9y ago
        So again, you don't care about substance, only presentation. Got it. I am the opposite, however, I don't get a voice because while I probably have 1000 lifetime upvotes I have about 650 downvotes. But that makes it look like only half the time I'm right when in reality there's a decent number of people like you who discredit my online reputation because of my personal nature. In my work culture, things that upset you wouldn't even have registered so it's frustrating that I have to conform to Joe Smiths idea of proper while he prevents the mob rule from turning on him through downvoting heretical thoughts all-the-while having nothing to do with the core principles of what this website is for.
        eropple 9y ago
        I care quite a lot about substance. I care also about politeness. I care about treating people with compassion and decency. It is very possible to care both about an argument and the people both making and receiving that argument. And, frankly? It is telling that you would refer to politeness derogatorily as presentation. But I understand that--and because I have been in your shoes before I grew up a tiny bit, I will call you on this--you think it lets you minimize your bad behavior. So I will decline to let you off the hook without emphasizing: your behavior is pretty bad right now. It's not about "heretical thoughts." This is just and solely about you being a jerk. You're whining about people trying to shut down your Grand Ideas or whatever...when it's really just that nobody wants to listen to a jerk. So I downvoted you in this thread (though obviously I can't downvote the post to which I am replying), and will continue to do so if I happen to read your post and go "man, what a jerk he's being!". But to put a preemptive pin in the balloon, it's not because of you, I will probably forget your handle after this conversation--it's because I try to always downvote people who are being jerks! It's too bad, because you don't sound stupid and (having taken a look) some of your post history seems interesting; I'm sure that you have some generally cool things you could be saying. But you also sound like a lot of your identity is tied up in being a jerk. That's your choice, but it doesn't tend to play well around here. The good news? There's a reason that I said "being a jerk", not "are a jerk"; being a jerk is a choice and you can stop being a jerk at any time. I recommend it.
- IntronExon 9y ago
  I’m guessing that you have problems with people offline as much as online, assuming that this is your standard of behavior. Maybe you should consider that your overly brash and confrontational tone simply isn’t working for you.
  - blackflame7000 9y ago
    Or maybe, everyone on this article has proven exactly the main point of the article. Because no one has discussed the technical merits of the advice I offered, only how they interpreted my tone via text to be too harsh for their sensitive standards. It proves my point that this site downvotes not based on wrong ideas, but rather disliked ideas. And that is something I wont be a part of any longer.
    - IntronExon 9y ago
      You didn’t ask for technical interpretation, you asked why you keep getting negative feedback. A number of people have pointed you in the direction of “why” and your response is to blame everyone except yourself. That’s... pathological.
    - blackflame7000 9y ago
      Right and so now I know that calling inanimate objects such as a whiteboard will invalidate any further knowledge I have to share. I could cure cancer but if I said, it was a bitch of a problem people on this site would go whoaaaaa dude negative 10 karmas for you. Isn't that sad? That's why I think the thumbs down button is a bad idea, just let the best ideas get the most rankings. Get rid of the 5+ year council of poeple that make it insane for others to get anything. I'll posts some good articles, make some insightful comments, and then someone will have a bad day and decide to erase all my good deeds. Thats super fun
sharemywin 9y ago
Another theory: Your comments are filled with opinionated arrogance. That aren't backed up with any facts. Basically, the unwritten rules is the more opinionated your comment(especially if it isn't in the norm) the more you need to back it up with facts or even links to sources. Also, I've gotten my share of down votes. But, usually it gets re-upvoted once enough people see it down voted. if it's not a "worthless comment" or extreme opinion without some kind of argument to back it up.
- sharemywin 9y ago
  Ask yourself this->Is my comment actually useful to other people? or just me spouting off my greatness... Most of my down-votes are from the later. or my dark sense of sarcasm, but that's a personal issue of mine.
  - blackflame7000 9y ago
    For people who failed their first interviews, it gives them hope they can be a CTO in 5 years. Hows that for being helpful? Again, it seems like you are just projecting insecurities at me and what I have accomplished by calling me arrogant instead of successful.
    - detaro 9y ago
      And you could have transported that message without all the negative fluff and (probably, as I said, there is noise) without downvotes.
    - blackflame7000 9y ago
      My god how do you go outside with a sensitivity level that high?
      - DamonHD 9y ago
        Is there any need to go on being this rude? It simply does not help. I spent a LONG time working with "Big Swinging Dicks" (the wrong sort of BSD for HN maybe?) in finance in London (and New York and Tokyo), and the loudest rudest ones were not the ones best at their jobs. When even the IT guy can tell that you are about to do several megabucks of screwup, bad-mouthing other people is just digging the hole deeper, for example.