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Don't try to gain karma. Your phrasing in this title is going to ill serve you. Repost this as what you seem to have intended, asking how to engage with the c

Don't try to gain karma. Your phrasing in this title is going to ill serve you. Repost this as what you seem to have intended, asking how to engage with the community. Now, for anyone who is here to learn how to game karma, I'd like to convey the following: Karma is an abstract way to show quality, a way to organize discussion on HN to prioritize valuable information and people with insight. It is not an end to itself, except maybe as an ego boost. Oh, I guess at some point you can down vote posts, but seriously, karma is a tool intended to benefit the community, not a measure of your value as a person, or your skills as a developer or entrepreneur. Try to add to the community; Add your insight and knowledge, up vote good quality comments and posts that are interesting, and trust the community. Attempting to game karma detracts value from the community. You are better than that. We are all better than that. And if you do that, the karma will come.

brudgers 14y ago
There are good reasons to try to gain karma. One is to improve one's writing. Another is to improve the quality of the articles one reads on the internet in the hunt for submissions. Incidentally, pursuit of the second one is how I found HN (from Techmeme). The improvement of my writing is one reason I have stayed.
mydpy 14y ago
I hope I don't convey any selfish motivations for posting this topic. Honestly, I'm trying to find a venue for me to discuss my interests. One of the dimensions of my work I want to expand is my mastery over specific subject matter. It's tough to find a colloquial yet masterful community forum for discussing new ideas, and especially so when I'm not sure which area I want to specialize in for my career. I like HN because it's simple and isn't overwhelming.
- deleted 14y ago
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- lsiebert 14y ago
  You didn't convey anything but earnest interest in contributing. I intended to address you, then any people trying to game karma. On reflection, I'd have split the comment; in my defense I was posting from my phone. FYI, In terms of communities related to specific subjects, a surprising amount happens on mailing lists, not web forums.

brudgers 14y ago

There are good reasons to try to gain karma. One is to improve one's writing. Another is to improve the quality of the articles one reads on the internet in the hunt for submissions. Incidentally, pursuit of the second one is how I found HN (from Techmeme). The improvement of my writing is one reason I have stayed.

mydpy 14y ago

I hope I don't convey any selfish motivations for posting this topic. Honestly, I'm trying to find a venue for me to discuss my interests. One of the dimensions of my work I want to expand is my mastery over specific subject matter. It's tough to find a colloquial yet masterful community forum for discussing new ideas, and especially so when I'm not sure which area I want to specialize in for my career. I like HN because it's simple and isn't overwhelming.

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
lsiebert 14y ago
You didn't convey anything but earnest interest in contributing. I intended to address you, then any people trying to game karma. On reflection, I'd have split the comment; in my defense I was posting from my phone. FYI, In terms of communities related to specific subjects, a surprising amount happens on mailing lists, not web forums.