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If I see my karma go up, that usually tells me that someone may have replied to something I said. Otherwise, I'm glad there's no alert for new replies. Conver

If I see my karma go up, that usually tells me that someone may have replied to something I said. Otherwise, I'm glad there's no alert for new replies. Conversation should be intentional. If I'm gonna be reading what someone said in response to me, I better already have enough motivation to check back and see if someone replied. When I don't check back, it's probably because I've got something more important to focus my attention on, and when I reply to someone I assume there's only a small chance they'll actually see it or reply back. An extension to alert for replies to recent comments/submissions could be really easy to make, though. Just check `/threads?id=` every few minutes, compare the content of the previous page snapshot, and collect unique replies into a set.

csdvrx 5y ago
> If I see my karma go up, that usually tells me that someone may have replied to something I said. Same, in my profile I ask to upvote if replying to start a discussion. Simple and does the job of catching my attention.
ballenf 5y ago
I use a custom style sheet to hide my karma score (except on user profile page where I can go if I'm super curious). It's broke an unhealthy cycle I would subconsciously try to craft the perfect reply and get an addiction-inducing high from some big karma boost. Or big productivity-killing negative response.
- exikyut 5y ago
  Same here! Down to a T. I actually think the consideration to hide it came from the fact that everyone *else's* votes are hidden. Incidentally, rather than a custom style sheet to hide the score, I have the entire top bar set to the karma color. This means I cannot see any of the actual links, and I have to really squint at the screen and hunt for them. Long-tail accessibility issues seem part of HN's brand, or something ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- ravenstine 5y ago
  Yeah, I can imagine that'd be good for many people. I get no thrill out of my karma. To me it's just a signal that something I said got attention and that I might want to quickly glance at my comments page in case there's an opportunity to engage with someone. The number itself is pretty meaningless and doesn't drive me to HN.
- rootusrootus 5y ago
  This is a feature I would like to be built-in. Seeing the karma score move makes me go look. It is an unhealthy distraction for me. I guess I should learn how to build that custom style sheet myself. Unless you can share yours here? ;-)
- karaterobot 5y ago
  Me too, as of a month or so ago. So far it has been an improvement in my experience with HN. I wouldn't mind this being a toggle on the configuration screen.
- dredmorbius 5y ago
  I've had an ... interesting ... experience having made the Leaders page, and at one point suggested to dang that the feature might be removed. I later heard from someone else who'd made the list and had somewhat similar responses to it. HN reduces gamification in most respects, but not all, and even in the ones that remain the psychological impacts are interesting. Yesterday's Black Bar for example. It's a subtle note, but I immediately knew what it meant (and that there would be inevitable questions about its meaning).
- BbzzbB 5y ago
  uBlock Origin filters are good for this. I also hide scores on Reddit and likes on Twitter in an attempt to not be influenced by what the mob thinks of comment X as well as the reason you mentioned. Unfortunately, it is one click away to un-hide so that second intent is mostly a failure, I end up checking anyway.
rootusrootus 5y ago
I have thought for some time that votes should come in two flavors. X if you make a comment, X/10 if you don't. Drive-by voting is of little value, and for abusive posts that need downvoting we have flagging to accomplish quick removal. Giving more weight to people who write a reply would encourage more conversation. Of course, then there is a question of whether it would encourage more thoughtful comments or not, and I cannot answer that.
- warrenm 5y ago
  Social voting is broken - and probably shouldn't exist (https://antipaucity.com/2015/09/16/like-problems-social-voting-is-a-bad-idea/#.Yg56sd9OlAc https://antipaucity.com/2015/09/16/like-problems-social-voti...) That said, I'm not asking for notifications on upvotes (like Stack Overflow does) I'm asking for the basic functionality of all internet fora I've interacted with for the last close to 30 years that tell you if you have any replies
  - ziggus 5y ago
    HN isn't a forum.
    - warrenm 5y ago
      ...says the person replying to a comment ;)
      - ziggus 5y ago
        Allowing comments on a news aggregator doesn't mean it's a forum. The fact that HN purposely doesn't have much of the standard functionality of a forum should clue you in to the fact that it isn't one.
        hypertele-Xii 5y ago
        https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/forum#Noun https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/forum#Noun forum, noun: An Internet message board where users can post messages regarding one or more topics of discussion. HN is clearly a forum.
cryptonector 5y ago
This is so much so that when I want a reply of mine to be noticed, I upvote (or downvote) the parent hoping they will do as you do.

csdvrx 5y ago

> If I see my karma go up, that usually tells me that someone may have replied to something I said. Same, in my profile I ask to upvote if replying to start a discussion. Simple and does the job of catching my attention.

ballenf 5y ago

I use a custom style sheet to hide my karma score (except on user profile page where I can go if I'm super curious). It's broke an unhealthy cycle I would subconsciously try to craft the perfect reply and get an addiction-inducing high from some big karma boost. Or big productivity-killing negative response.

exikyut 5y ago
Same here! Down to a T. I actually think the consideration to hide it came from the fact that everyone *else's* votes are hidden. Incidentally, rather than a custom style sheet to hide the score, I have the entire top bar set to the karma color. This means I cannot see any of the actual links, and I have to really squint at the screen and hunt for them. Long-tail accessibility issues seem part of HN's brand, or something ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
ravenstine 5y ago
Yeah, I can imagine that'd be good for many people. I get no thrill out of my karma. To me it's just a signal that something I said got attention and that I might want to quickly glance at my comments page in case there's an opportunity to engage with someone. The number itself is pretty meaningless and doesn't drive me to HN.
rootusrootus 5y ago
This is a feature I would like to be built-in. Seeing the karma score move makes me go look. It is an unhealthy distraction for me. I guess I should learn how to build that custom style sheet myself. Unless you can share yours here? ;-)
karaterobot 5y ago
Me too, as of a month or so ago. So far it has been an improvement in my experience with HN. I wouldn't mind this being a toggle on the configuration screen.
dredmorbius 5y ago
I've had an ... interesting ... experience having made the Leaders page, and at one point suggested to dang that the feature might be removed. I later heard from someone else who'd made the list and had somewhat similar responses to it. HN reduces gamification in most respects, but not all, and even in the ones that remain the psychological impacts are interesting. Yesterday's Black Bar for example. It's a subtle note, but I immediately knew what it meant (and that there would be inevitable questions about its meaning).
BbzzbB 5y ago
uBlock Origin filters are good for this. I also hide scores on Reddit and likes on Twitter in an attempt to not be influenced by what the mob thinks of comment X as well as the reason you mentioned. Unfortunately, it is one click away to un-hide so that second intent is mostly a failure, I end up checking anyway.

rootusrootus 5y ago

I have thought for some time that votes should come in two flavors. X if you make a comment, X/10 if you don't. Drive-by voting is of little value, and for abusive posts that need downvoting we have flagging to accomplish quick removal. Giving more weight to people who write a reply would encourage more conversation. Of course, then there is a question of whether it would encourage more thoughtful comments or not, and I cannot answer that.

warrenm 5y ago
Social voting is broken - and probably shouldn't exist (https://antipaucity.com/2015/09/16/like-problems-social-voting-is-a-bad-idea/#.Yg56sd9OlAc https://antipaucity.com/2015/09/16/like-problems-social-voti...) That said, I'm not asking for notifications on upvotes (like Stack Overflow does) I'm asking for the basic functionality of all internet fora I've interacted with for the last close to 30 years that tell you if you have any replies
- ziggus 5y ago
  HN isn't a forum.
  - warrenm 5y ago
    ...says the person replying to a comment ;)
    - ziggus 5y ago
      Allowing comments on a news aggregator doesn't mean it's a forum. The fact that HN purposely doesn't have much of the standard functionality of a forum should clue you in to the fact that it isn't one.
      - hypertele-Xii 5y ago
        https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/forum#Noun https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/forum#Noun forum, noun: An Internet message board where users can post messages regarding one or more topics of discussion. HN is clearly a forum.

cryptonector 5y ago

This is so much so that when I want a reply of mine to be noticed, I upvote (or downvote) the parent hoping they will do as you do.