4 ms·

Like in the real world.

• Loughla 6y ago
  Except it's not that simple - - the difference is that, in the real world, there are no scores associated with your negativity or 'going against the grain'. You can disagree in whatever manner you want, as long as you are oblivious to the obvious social cues of the people around you. Whereas on HN, there is a score to tell you that you've committed a social faux pas. It's more immediate, so it's a little easier to figure out. I've often thought about ways to integrate the scoring feature into real life to help folks on the spectrum learn to communicate with neurotypicals. Haven't squirreled that one out yet.
  • the_af 6y ago
    What's worse, with visual cues that you've commited a faux pas (the graying out), people are inclined to jump on the bandwagon. There is a subconscious temptation to pile on. In real life, you're not grayed-out for being contrary.
    • dwaltrip 6y ago
      I'm not sure if the graying out is the best approach. However, in real life, people may look at you funny, and if they do, others will notice this. Tangentially, the lack of body language feedback is a major reason people are such assholes online. It doesn't exactly feel like you are talking to a real person and you aren't getting realtime feedback, so it is harder to adjust to the other person or even just treat them reasonably.
      • the_af 6y ago
        Agreed. I find downvote visual cues such as the graying out a bit like laugh tracks in sitcoms. On their own, some people will find the jokes funny, some find them distasteful or unfunny -- add a laugh track and you're telling people how they must feel. Downvotes are a lot like that: "people find this comment distasteful, what are you going to do about that?".