When I see this, I routinely up-vote the comment, as well as add a reply pointing out that the comment was legitimate. (and this generally scores me several che

When I see this, I routinely up-vote the comment, as well as add a reply pointing out that the comment was legitimate. (and this generally scores me several cheap karma points on my reply :) ) I think that there's a "leaky abstraction" problem in up- and down-voting. The intent of voting (afaik) is to show meritorious comments, so other readers can find the most insightful writing. But it's also taken to indicating agreement or disagreement. Even the most insightful, well-researched comment may get down-voted by people who dislike its sentiment; while (less frequently) vapid comments that add nothing to the discussion get up-votes.