5 ms·
There has been a ton more downvoting on HN in the last month and it's getting kind of absurd. It's like a group of redditors hit the downvote threshold and jus
by iaw 12y ago
There has been a ton more downvoting on HN in the last month and it's getting kind of absurd. It's like a group of redditors hit the downvote threshold and just started going at it.
edit: case in point
- Animats 12y agoI've noticed that saying something negative about Apple or, now, Tesla, produces a quick downvote. On Slashdot, there's a striking phenomenon that saying something negative about Apple produces downvotes after about 15-30 minutes. Unclear whether this is a fanboy problem or a commercial "reputation management" firm in action.
- archagon 12y agoOr magbe it's because Apple is routinely (and unfairly) maligned all across the tech sphere, especially in the comments, and Apple users on less polarized sites vote to compensate.
- aidenn0 12y agoHuh? Apple and Tesla are both darlings of the tech sphere.
- rimantas 12y agohave you been to /r/technology ?
- freehunter 12y agoIf Apple was hated, you would see the same thing happen to them that happens to Microsoft. How often do you see big Microsoft news on the front page of HN or a Microsoft liveblog on Ars Technica? Almost never, where with Apple every word they say is splattered across the news for weeks.
- Retric 12y agoThe interesting parts of Microsoft get a lot of press. Consider how much coverage a hypothetical Halo 5 would get before release. The real issue is MS produces little interesting new tech. Granted, I actually like developing for C# far more than most systems, but embrace and extend just does not make for much interesting news.
- freehunter 12y agoWindows 8.1 release and Windows 10 announcements both got flagged off the front page multiple times before finally an article was successful enough to stick around for a few hours. Same thing with the Surface Pro 3 and Windows Phone 8.1. Meanwhile iOS 8 had an article for each new feature for days. The admins explained it that the Microsoft news triggers the flamewar prevention they built, and it happens almost every time. Microsoft articles need admins to explicitly allow them on the front page, or they're gone in minutes.
- bs1011 12y agoIt's mostly by the employees of the respective companies themselves. I once was working in a company (now a popular help desk company, famous within HN circles even) where the co/founder called up a few of his employees to downvote a comment that raised a serious but negative tone about his company. And all the employees were smart enough to use proxies to downvote the comment into oblivion. So, always think twice if it's worth losing your karma in a fixed game.
- ObviousScience 12y ago> So, always think twice if it's worth losing your karma in a fixed game. Or I could refuse to accept the premise internet points are important and realize that downvotes aren't a reliable indication of post quality. I'm certainly not going to be bullied by companies in to being quiet because they might take away some of my internet points.
- iaw 12y agoI value my precious internet points and feel emotionally hurt with every down vote.
- mattgreenrocks 12y agoThe year is 2014: anxious business owners obsess over Internet Points! How do I get more, they ask? Please RT.
- dzhiurgis 12y agoIsn't gaining karma also a fixed game?
- daeken 12y agoThat's absolutely ridiculous. I'm not saying that employees of a company won't downvote negative comments, but they're a tiny, tiny, tiny minority. As in, I'd put any amount of money on <1% of downvotes related to Apple or Tesla coming from employees of those companies.
- 12y ago
- Cthulhu_ 12y agoIs it just Apple, or do other companies not get much negativity anymore that gets commenters downvotes?