6 ms·

One thing I hate about reddit is user's obsession over karma to the point that on most of the major sub-reddits highest rated comments are boiled down to puns a

by pavs 16y ago

One thing I hate about reddit is user's obsession over karma to the point that on most of the major sub-reddits highest rated comments are boiled down to puns and memes. I hope that type of obsession doesn't spill over here. I rather have no public karma score or leader board. It adds zero value other than comparing e-penis. Karma doesn't necessarily reflect the quality of comments. More often than not it reflects how much time you spend and how popular you are here (people will often blindly upvote users who adds nothing interesting to the discussion but is a popular user at HN) and how fast you can submit TC article.

Mz 16y ago
On the one hand, I try really hard to ignore karma and remind myself that I post here to participate in conversation, not to rack up karma points. On the other hand, obsessively checking if my karma has changed is one of the most harmless things I have done while feeling like crap and being unable to sleep. All communities have some means to keep track of pecking order. I really have no idea if karma is better or worse than other methodologies. <shrug>
- JonnieCache 16y ago
  >>All communities have some means to keep track of pecking order. I really have no idea if karma is better or worse than other methodologies. <shrug> It's definitely better than simply listing the user's post count next to their name, which a lot of fora still do. Now if you'll excuse me, there's a particular lever that I need to go and push...
- petercooper 16y ago
  I agree but I'm happy with the ambivalence. People who outright dismiss points/karma remind me of people who think money is "evil." I have just shy of 13k karma and I'll admit that my rise from around 3k->10k was driven entirely by, first, trying to get on the /leaders page, and then into the 10K club ;-) A pointless, egotistic goal but good things came out of it. Firstly, most of my comments and posts weren't frivolous so people appreciated them at some level. Second, spending so effort here made me feel more a part of "the community" and has led to some interesting extracurricular discussions and opportunities. Not everyone needs numbers, scores, or money as motivators, but some of us find it a handy metric. Being a points scorer doesn't mean the outcome for third parties is necessarily negative and I certainly wouldn't do "anything" just to score a few points, that's for sure - just like not all rich people are evil money grabbers.
  - Mz 16y ago
    I am unlikely to get on the leader board. I am very much an "outsider" here -- not a programmer and not male. Former homemaker in fact. This is the first place I have ever posted where a) I can't keep up with all the traffic (historically, I have been known to read every single thing posted to forums I belonged to -- not so here) and b) no one has ever remarked on my posts being too long or there being too many of them (a common complaint about me in most forums I have participated in). Many of my posts do not get upvoted and I may never figure out how to pursue such an achievement here. I have mixed feelings about that: Slightly bruised ego because I so very often attract the spotlight without meaning to (whereas I am being "overlooked" here) but also relief at not attracting so much negative attention just for being me. I will note that many of the benefits you cite could have occurred even if karma were not the means by which pecking order is tracked here. So I don't think it really says much about karma per se. But thanks for sharing.
    - petercooper 16y ago
      I am very much an "outsider" here -- not a programmer and not male. My take is that if you identify with HN and many of the "hacker" standpoints and pursuits, you're not an outsider here. At least, I would hope one wouldn't feel that way. More than most other communities I've experienced online, HN isn't very cliquey nor very focused on one's vital stats - there are people from all corners, all genders, and all races here but it's already anonymous enough that it's hard to tell. Being a geek and taking an interest in new things are probably the only prerequisites to be "in" here. I think that's a great thing. I will note that many of the benefits you cite could have occurred even if karma were not the means by which pecking order is tracked here. Sure, but from different people. Without my side goals, I probably wouldn't have spent as much time on my comments or "contributing" here generally. Of course, I wouldn't dare to suggest HN would be any better off with more people like me ;-)
      - Mz 16y ago
        My only point (in mentioning that I am an "outsider") is that I don't expect to make it on to the leader board. I think the fact that I am not a programmer is definitely relevant to that expectation (or lack thereof). (If you really think I'm wrong in that regard, perhaps you can list several people on the leader board who are not programmers? Or even people on the leader board who are openly female?)
ubernostrum 16y ago
One thing I hate about HN is users' obsession over karma to the point that many of the highest-rated comments boil down to bashing on reddit.

by pavs 16y ago

Mz 16y ago

On the one hand, I try really hard to ignore karma and remind myself that I post here to participate in conversation, not to rack up karma points. On the other hand, obsessively checking if my karma has changed is one of the most harmless things I have done while feeling like crap and being unable to sleep. All communities have some means to keep track of pecking order. I really have no idea if karma is better or worse than other methodologies. <shrug>

JonnieCache 16y ago
>>All communities have some means to keep track of pecking order. I really have no idea if karma is better or worse than other methodologies. <shrug> It's definitely better than simply listing the user's post count next to their name, which a lot of fora still do. Now if you'll excuse me, there's a particular lever that I need to go and push...
petercooper 16y ago
I agree but I'm happy with the ambivalence. People who outright dismiss points/karma remind me of people who think money is "evil." I have just shy of 13k karma and I'll admit that my rise from around 3k->10k was driven entirely by, first, trying to get on the /leaders page, and then into the 10K club ;-) A pointless, egotistic goal but good things came out of it. Firstly, most of my comments and posts weren't frivolous so people appreciated them at some level. Second, spending so effort here made me feel more a part of "the community" and has led to some interesting extracurricular discussions and opportunities. Not everyone needs numbers, scores, or money as motivators, but some of us find it a handy metric. Being a points scorer doesn't mean the outcome for third parties is necessarily negative and I certainly wouldn't do "anything" just to score a few points, that's for sure - just like not all rich people are evil money grabbers.
- Mz 16y ago
  I am unlikely to get on the leader board. I am very much an "outsider" here -- not a programmer and not male. Former homemaker in fact. This is the first place I have ever posted where a) I can't keep up with all the traffic (historically, I have been known to read every single thing posted to forums I belonged to -- not so here) and b) no one has ever remarked on my posts being too long or there being too many of them (a common complaint about me in most forums I have participated in). Many of my posts do not get upvoted and I may never figure out how to pursue such an achievement here. I have mixed feelings about that: Slightly bruised ego because I so very often attract the spotlight without meaning to (whereas I am being "overlooked" here) but also relief at not attracting so much negative attention just for being me. I will note that many of the benefits you cite could have occurred even if karma were not the means by which pecking order is tracked here. So I don't think it really says much about karma per se. But thanks for sharing.
  - petercooper 16y ago
    I am very much an "outsider" here -- not a programmer and not male. My take is that if you identify with HN and many of the "hacker" standpoints and pursuits, you're not an outsider here. At least, I would hope one wouldn't feel that way. More than most other communities I've experienced online, HN isn't very cliquey nor very focused on one's vital stats - there are people from all corners, all genders, and all races here but it's already anonymous enough that it's hard to tell. Being a geek and taking an interest in new things are probably the only prerequisites to be "in" here. I think that's a great thing. I will note that many of the benefits you cite could have occurred even if karma were not the means by which pecking order is tracked here. Sure, but from different people. Without my side goals, I probably wouldn't have spent as much time on my comments or "contributing" here generally. Of course, I wouldn't dare to suggest HN would be any better off with more people like me ;-)
    - Mz 16y ago
      My only point (in mentioning that I am an "outsider") is that I don't expect to make it on to the leader board. I think the fact that I am not a programmer is definitely relevant to that expectation (or lack thereof). (If you really think I'm wrong in that regard, perhaps you can list several people on the leader board who are not programmers? Or even people on the leader board who are openly female?)

ubernostrum 16y ago

One thing I hate about HN is users' obsession over karma to the point that many of the highest-rated comments boil down to bashing on reddit.