If the public knows exactly what the algorithm is, they will game it. If they don't know but can approximate its behavior by observation, they will game that.

If the public knows exactly what the algorithm is, they will game it. If they don't know but can approximate its behavior by observation, they will game that. I also think that lots of upvotes on influential sites will soon turn into improved page rank so don't think that it will make a difference. Google isn't using the original, naive page rank algorithm, they have repeatedly refined it to fight the SEO folks.