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This is entirely off-topic, but if you're going through and downvoting people for posting their favorite podcasts in a thread like this, you should take a break

This is entirely off-topic, but if you're going through and downvoting people for posting their favorite podcasts in a thread like this, you should take a break from here, or the internet for a while, it's not that serious.

NilsIRL 7y ago
There's a reason "downvotes" are called "flags" on HN
- detaro 7y ago
  No they are not. Downvotes and flags are different things, and have different rules about them. (Flags mean "this breaks the rules/needs moderator attention", downvotes are a lot more general "negative sentiment") EDIT: downvotes probably aren't available to you yet, NilsIRL, I think the karma threshold is higher (500?).
  - DoreenMichele 7y ago
    ^ To be fair, though, the flag button is hidden. You have to click on the comment time stamp to find it. Some people seem unaware of this. It appears to be a minor source of confusion around here.
arikr 7y ago
That's one way to view it, certainly. The other way is that downvotes are a great tool for ensuring high quality discussion, and if the thread is about podcast episodes, then downvoting full podcasts helps keep the thread organized. Downvotes aren't necessarily bad, they may just mean - hey, this doesn't belong as much in this thread, so I'm voting on it to help organize the thread for other readers.
- mylons 7y ago
  or just don’t vote on things you don’t like and you get the same effect
  - lucb1e 7y ago
    This. As far as I know, on HN downvotes are supposed to be for non-constructive comments and a moderation tool more than a "I disagree" or "I dislike this" button. That is probably why you only get the option to downvote after you gained >1k points.
- alamortsubite 7y ago
  Although they wrote "episodes" in their title, the OP then listed two podcasts as examples to start the discussion ( Invest Like the Best https://investlikethebest.libsyn.com/ https://investlikethebest.libsyn.com/ , and FYI https://open.spotify.com/show/0xOdWuktBQKWCv2mlVjizn https://open.spotify.com/show/0xOdWuktBQKWCv2mlVjizn ). As such, it seems quite a stretch to conclude they want us to limit our responses to specific episodes of podcasts.
- hombre_fatal 7y ago
  Agreed. I wish everyone who posted an entire podcast would have at least recommended a single impactful episode, especially as a place to start for those of us who haven't listened to the podcast at all.
  - shanecleveland 7y ago
    Many podcasts are now released as a limited series or as seasons, best consumed from start to finish. “13 Minutes to the Moon,” “Man in the Window” and “In the Dark.” Come to mind. No less impactful and would be strange to recommend anything but the entire podcast, particularly since OP suggested full podcasts.
- hombre_fatal 7y ago
  Agreed. I wish everyone who posted an entire podcast would have at least recommended a single impactful episode, especially as a place to start for those of us who haven't listened to the podcast at all. "What's your favorite podcast" is a vastly less interesting and different question to answer. Impactful episodes can even appear in podcasts you generally dislike or don't agree with.
  - alamortsubite 7y ago
    The OP lists two examples of podcasts (not episodes) to open the thread. I think you misunderstood their intention.
- willis936 7y ago
  HN’s rules seem like they fall in line with positive psychology tenants. In the spirit of HN, downvotes seem like something reserved for mean spirited or inaccurate posts. If everyone downvotes for differences in purely subjective opinion, well, I’d just stick to reddit in that case.
  - claudiawerner 7y ago
    dang and sctb have stated several times that it's OK to downvote for disagreement on HN. On the other hand, on Reddit it goes against Reddiquette (as published by Reddit) to do that - though of course it's very common.
- Rainymood 7y ago
  Exactly. "Back in the day" I remember that on HN if your post wasn't a 3 paragraph story with a well-defined point and arguments you would be downvoted into oblivion.
NaOH 7y ago
I get your point, that the subject matter here isn't worth downvoting. It's like arguing whether chocolate is better than vanilla. But I would say that failing to describe a podcast and why you like it (or specific episodes) is poor communication. It would be like a thread about food and someone saying, "Italian cuisine is great. It's delicious." I know nothing from that type of comment about what makes Italian cuisine distinctive and what attributes stand out for the commenter. There are a number of comments like that in this thread.

NilsIRL 7y ago

There's a reason "downvotes" are called "flags" on HN

detaro 7y ago
No they are not. Downvotes and flags are different things, and have different rules about them. (Flags mean "this breaks the rules/needs moderator attention", downvotes are a lot more general "negative sentiment") EDIT: downvotes probably aren't available to you yet, NilsIRL, I think the karma threshold is higher (500?).
- DoreenMichele 7y ago
  ^ To be fair, though, the flag button is hidden. You have to click on the comment time stamp to find it. Some people seem unaware of this. It appears to be a minor source of confusion around here.

arikr 7y ago

That's one way to view it, certainly. The other way is that downvotes are a great tool for ensuring high quality discussion, and if the thread is about podcast episodes, then downvoting full podcasts helps keep the thread organized. Downvotes aren't necessarily bad, they may just mean - hey, this doesn't belong as much in this thread, so I'm voting on it to help organize the thread for other readers.

mylons 7y ago
or just don’t vote on things you don’t like and you get the same effect
- lucb1e 7y ago
  This. As far as I know, on HN downvotes are supposed to be for non-constructive comments and a moderation tool more than a "I disagree" or "I dislike this" button. That is probably why you only get the option to downvote after you gained >1k points.
alamortsubite 7y ago
Although they wrote "episodes" in their title, the OP then listed two podcasts as examples to start the discussion ( Invest Like the Best https://investlikethebest.libsyn.com/ https://investlikethebest.libsyn.com/ , and FYI https://open.spotify.com/show/0xOdWuktBQKWCv2mlVjizn https://open.spotify.com/show/0xOdWuktBQKWCv2mlVjizn ). As such, it seems quite a stretch to conclude they want us to limit our responses to specific episodes of podcasts.
hombre_fatal 7y ago
Agreed. I wish everyone who posted an entire podcast would have at least recommended a single impactful episode, especially as a place to start for those of us who haven't listened to the podcast at all.
- shanecleveland 7y ago
  Many podcasts are now released as a limited series or as seasons, best consumed from start to finish. “13 Minutes to the Moon,” “Man in the Window” and “In the Dark.” Come to mind. No less impactful and would be strange to recommend anything but the entire podcast, particularly since OP suggested full podcasts.
hombre_fatal 7y ago
Agreed. I wish everyone who posted an entire podcast would have at least recommended a single impactful episode, especially as a place to start for those of us who haven't listened to the podcast at all. "What's your favorite podcast" is a vastly less interesting and different question to answer. Impactful episodes can even appear in podcasts you generally dislike or don't agree with.
- alamortsubite 7y ago
  The OP lists two examples of podcasts (not episodes) to open the thread. I think you misunderstood their intention.
willis936 7y ago
HN’s rules seem like they fall in line with positive psychology tenants. In the spirit of HN, downvotes seem like something reserved for mean spirited or inaccurate posts. If everyone downvotes for differences in purely subjective opinion, well, I’d just stick to reddit in that case.
- claudiawerner 7y ago
  dang and sctb have stated several times that it's OK to downvote for disagreement on HN. On the other hand, on Reddit it goes against Reddiquette (as published by Reddit) to do that - though of course it's very common.
Rainymood 7y ago
Exactly. "Back in the day" I remember that on HN if your post wasn't a 3 paragraph story with a well-defined point and arguments you would be downvoted into oblivion.

NaOH 7y ago

I get your point, that the subject matter here isn't worth downvoting. It's like arguing whether chocolate is better than vanilla. But I would say that failing to describe a podcast and why you like it (or specific episodes) is poor communication. It would be like a thread about food and someone saying, "Italian cuisine is great. It's delicious." I know nothing from that type of comment about what makes Italian cuisine distinctive and what attributes stand out for the commenter. There are a number of comments like that in this thread.