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Relevant Hark! A Vagrant: http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=206 http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=206

wavefunction 13y ago
I downvoted your post because it only contained a link to a web comic. If you had provided some of your own opinions on the blog post or why the comic was relevant to the blog post, I would have refrained. I like to explain my downvotes when the downvoted post is not an obvious troll.
- sambeau 13y ago
  I don't see how adding commentary to the comic would have added anything. 'Relevant' linking is an art and in this case it was artfully done. You don't want to ruin the punchline, if any, as if done correctly the juxtaposition of the thread you go from to the relevant new thread should hopefully create something tangential, underlined or poignant. This link was relevant, funny & poignant. Adding a small commentary would have removed from the latter two. It also has something significant to say about startups. A link like this would never have made the front page even though it tangentially says something important about entrepreneurial success (something that successful entrepreneurs too-often choose to forget). Startups should print this out and stick it on their wall.
- tptacek 13y ago
  I canceled out your downvote because I like Hark! A Vagrant.
  - dylangs1030 13y ago
    You'd probably like SMBC too (if you don't already read it).
- pepve 13y ago
  I think you're being silly. And I don't think that's what downvotes are for (not that I have a say in the matter, because I don't have the button). Explaining why the comic is relevant would be like explaining the joke itself. That hardly every works. Would you downvote a comment with just a link to a paper about the technology being discussed in the article?
  - goostavos 13y ago
    I have the downvote button :) while I wouldn't have downvited the parent comment, I understood why he was. The comments are what separates HN from other sites in my opinion. A "relevant:" comic comment doesn't do much to advance the discussion, its just noise in the thread -- this is of course simply my opinion. Linking a comment, and linking a journal article are two very different actions. I wouldn't downvote someone who linked to a journal article, but that's still kind of a crappy comment. Give a summary of why you're linking to the article, not a chore for us to try and figure out what kind of point the commenter is attempting to make. The fear is that without moderation, the reddit-ification of the comments will continue its steady march forward. Hence, down voting comments which don't add much
    - fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
      >Give a summary of why you're linking to the article, To me, one of the great things about HN is that someone can post a link without comment, and I can click that link without too much fear of being rickrolled, goatse'd, or some other mental equivalent. In this case, if I wasn't interested in looking at a cartoon, I could decide to close the tab in about the time it takes to read the poster's summary.
- benihana 13y ago
  I downvoted you for being so thick that you can't figure out how the comic was relevant to the discussion and also because you took the time to explain your downvote, like it actually matters.
  - wavefunction 13y ago
    I certainly enjoyed the comic, but I felt it necessary to explain why I was downvoting the comment. I primarily upvote and rarely downvote and I hate when my seemingly appropriate posts are downvoted with no apparent rationale. I certainly anticipated responses like yours and proceeded anyways, thanks for your thoughts, like it actually matters ;)
- vitalique 13y ago
  Do you also like to deliberately explain (at least to yourself) your upvotes and all the cases when you didn't make your mind or mindfully decided not to upvote or downvote? Not trolling you, I just have really hard time trying to give my vote either way, and usually just move on to next comment or submission.
  - 6cxs2hd6 13y ago
    Although I plan to upvote your comment I'm waiting to hear back from my attorney first.
  - wavefunction 13y ago
    I upvote posts that either I find to be consistent with my appraisals of the subject in question (these are rare in terms of my total upvotes), posts that contain well-reasoned opinions contrary to mine, or (the bulk of my upvotes) posts that force me to consider aspects or perspectives I failed to consider previous to reading. It is the posts that cause me to redefine my understanding of subjects that primarily receive my upvotes.
- 6cxs2hd6 13y ago
  Have you considered a law career?

I downvoted your post because it only contained a link to a web comic. If you had provided some of your own opinions on the blog post or why the comic was relevant to the blog post, I would have refrained. I like to explain my downvotes when the downvoted post is not an obvious troll.

sambeau 13y ago
I don't see how adding commentary to the comic would have added anything. 'Relevant' linking is an art and in this case it was artfully done. You don't want to ruin the punchline, if any, as if done correctly the juxtaposition of the thread you go from to the relevant new thread should hopefully create something tangential, underlined or poignant. This link was relevant, funny & poignant. Adding a small commentary would have removed from the latter two. It also has something significant to say about startups. A link like this would never have made the front page even though it tangentially says something important about entrepreneurial success (something that successful entrepreneurs too-often choose to forget). Startups should print this out and stick it on their wall.
tptacek 13y ago
I canceled out your downvote because I like Hark! A Vagrant.
- dylangs1030 13y ago
  You'd probably like SMBC too (if you don't already read it).
pepve 13y ago
I think you're being silly. And I don't think that's what downvotes are for (not that I have a say in the matter, because I don't have the button). Explaining why the comic is relevant would be like explaining the joke itself. That hardly every works. Would you downvote a comment with just a link to a paper about the technology being discussed in the article?
- goostavos 13y ago
  I have the downvote button :) while I wouldn't have downvited the parent comment, I understood why he was. The comments are what separates HN from other sites in my opinion. A "relevant:" comic comment doesn't do much to advance the discussion, its just noise in the thread -- this is of course simply my opinion. Linking a comment, and linking a journal article are two very different actions. I wouldn't downvote someone who linked to a journal article, but that's still kind of a crappy comment. Give a summary of why you're linking to the article, not a chore for us to try and figure out what kind of point the commenter is attempting to make. The fear is that without moderation, the reddit-ification of the comments will continue its steady march forward. Hence, down voting comments which don't add much
  - fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
    >Give a summary of why you're linking to the article, To me, one of the great things about HN is that someone can post a link without comment, and I can click that link without too much fear of being rickrolled, goatse'd, or some other mental equivalent. In this case, if I wasn't interested in looking at a cartoon, I could decide to close the tab in about the time it takes to read the poster's summary.
benihana 13y ago
I downvoted you for being so thick that you can't figure out how the comic was relevant to the discussion and also because you took the time to explain your downvote, like it actually matters.
- wavefunction 13y ago
  I certainly enjoyed the comic, but I felt it necessary to explain why I was downvoting the comment. I primarily upvote and rarely downvote and I hate when my seemingly appropriate posts are downvoted with no apparent rationale. I certainly anticipated responses like yours and proceeded anyways, thanks for your thoughts, like it actually matters ;)
vitalique 13y ago
Do you also like to deliberately explain (at least to yourself) your upvotes and all the cases when you didn't make your mind or mindfully decided not to upvote or downvote? Not trolling you, I just have really hard time trying to give my vote either way, and usually just move on to next comment or submission.
- 6cxs2hd6 13y ago
  Although I plan to upvote your comment I'm waiting to hear back from my attorney first.
- wavefunction 13y ago
  I upvote posts that either I find to be consistent with my appraisals of the subject in question (these are rare in terms of my total upvotes), posts that contain well-reasoned opinions contrary to mine, or (the bulk of my upvotes) posts that force me to consider aspects or perspectives I failed to consider previous to reading. It is the posts that cause me to redefine my understanding of subjects that primarily receive my upvotes.
6cxs2hd6 13y ago
Have you considered a law career?