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A little off-topic, but... Why is this getting down-voted? Is it because you disagree with what this person is saying? I thought down-votes were only for thing

A little off-topic, but... Why is this getting down-voted? Is it because you disagree with what this person is saying? I thought down-votes were only for things that didn't contribute to the conversation. It feels like this is getting down-voted because people don't like that Google is doing these things. So, this person is getting down-voted 'cuz of Google? Huh?

joering2 15y ago
> I thought down-votes were only for things that didn't contribute to the conversation. yeah, well.. you need to see my posts on Apple threads.
lkrubner 15y ago
Sadly, Paul Graham has endorsed the idea of using the downvote to express disagreement. I personally dislike this use of the downvote, but it does have official sanction. Read this: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=117171 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=117171
- antoko 15y ago
  Just because something CAN be done doesn't mean it SHOULD be done. I think the community benefits from people expressing counter-arguments far more than grey-ing out minority opinion. I'd hope a majority of users here feel the same way and act accordingly - pg's comments not withstanding.
- jilebedev 15y ago
  > I think it's ok to use the up and down arrows to express agreement. There's a dangerous consequence to saying this. Here's how: 1. Voting is easy. 2. Voting is valueable: it literally changes HN for everyone else. 3. Agreement/disagreement is easy: we're taught how to do it as children. 4. Agreement/disagreement is value-less. Saying that you agree with pg on 'Hackers and Painters' is valueless. Saying "prior to reading H&P, I was in mindset A-B-C supported by points of view D-E-F, and here's how they were modified, and here's the new mindset H-I-J" conveys the same agreement, but it provides value. We shouldn't incite people to use up/down votes to express something value-less. Agreement and lack thereof (alone) is valueless.
Dylan16807 15y ago
Some people might have downvoted based on the DMV example apparently being wrong. Factual inaccuracy can be a good reason to downvote.

joering2 15y ago

> I thought down-votes were only for things that didn't contribute to the conversation. yeah, well.. you need to see my posts on Apple threads.

lkrubner 15y ago

Sadly, Paul Graham has endorsed the idea of using the downvote to express disagreement. I personally dislike this use of the downvote, but it does have official sanction. Read this: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=117171 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=117171

antoko 15y ago
Just because something CAN be done doesn't mean it SHOULD be done. I think the community benefits from people expressing counter-arguments far more than grey-ing out minority opinion. I'd hope a majority of users here feel the same way and act accordingly - pg's comments not withstanding.
jilebedev 15y ago
> I think it's ok to use the up and down arrows to express agreement. There's a dangerous consequence to saying this. Here's how: 1. Voting is easy. 2. Voting is valueable: it literally changes HN for everyone else. 3. Agreement/disagreement is easy: we're taught how to do it as children. 4. Agreement/disagreement is value-less. Saying that you agree with pg on 'Hackers and Painters' is valueless. Saying "prior to reading H&P, I was in mindset A-B-C supported by points of view D-E-F, and here's how they were modified, and here's the new mindset H-I-J" conveys the same agreement, but it provides value. We shouldn't incite people to use up/down votes to express something value-less. Agreement and lack thereof (alone) is valueless.

Dylan16807 15y ago

Some people might have downvoted based on the DMV example apparently being wrong. Factual inaccuracy can be a good reason to downvote.