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Hear, hear: if you have a solution for detecting stupid comments, let Paul know. I liked the two ideas Paul mentioned: length of comment is related to stupidit
by alain94040 18y ago
Hear, hear: if you have a solution for detecting stupid comments, let Paul know.
I liked the two ideas Paul mentioned: length of comment is related to stupidity, and not using the same words again. Just make those fall toward the bottom of the page and we'll all be happy.
While any algorithm can be gamed, length is still pretty good. If I have to go through the extra effort of adding two paragraphs each time I write something, well... it takes time to type. So I have an incentive to think and improve my comment.
Really, I like this. It's really the same problem as Google search: out of all the junk out there, how can you tell interesting content? Because we all want to read only amazing stuff and engage in discussions with brilliant people. In practice, it doesn't work that way yet, but what if technology made it possible?
- tptacek 18y agoIf it's a similar problem to Google, then you wonder whether the reputation of the commenters and the comment's responders could factor in. I'd like a system that gave credit to people who start high-ranked threads (in the aggregate).
- wallflower 18y agoI would be interested in seeing the total aggregate comment points for a thread. I think some of the most interesting threads take off with unexpected tangents. For example, the recent one on marriage/dating.
- tptacek 18y agoA lot of really dumb, risible comments inspire thoughtful, valuable takedowns.
- antiismist 18y agoMaybe http://news.ycombinator.com/active http://news.ycombinator.com/active is what you are looking for?
- blasdel 18y agoI have no problem with comments as short as just one word, for instance: sometimes just the mention of a counter-example is far more effective than a longwinded riposte. What I do have a serious problem with on HN is 1000+ word diatribes. They just don't fit the weighted threaded format, and tend to be rants anyway. If you can't fit it into a few normal paragraphs, it should really be broken up into several comments. If it can't be broken up, it's not suitable for HN.
- simonb 18y agoHaving length as an indicator of quality intuitively (i.e. I don't have statistically significant counter-examples) seems wrong to me. It goes directly against what hacking stands for (quick, dirty and yet elegant solutions).
- pg 18y agotl;dr
- YuriNiyazov 18y agoIs anyone else finding this absolutely hilarious? PG was giving a "statistically significant counterexample", which is now being voted down because in its literal sense it is anti-HN spirit.
- pg 18y agoIt does prove my point I suppose.