I think there is some truth to Marshall’s critique and that the situation could be easily improved by making it clear (either on the “about” page or in some other high-visibility note) what the guidelines for voting are. That means guidelines would have to be agreed upon. Until that happens, I suspect people will continue to just vote up comments they agree with, stifling debate.
I’ve previously suggested a change to the voting system, but this might require more man-power to implement than is available.
I think there is some truth to Marshall’s critique and that the situation could be easily improved by making it clear (either on the “about” page or in some other high-visibility note) what the guidelines for voting are. That means guidelines would have to be agreed upon. Until that happens, I suspect people will continue to just vote up comments they agree with, stifling debate.
I’ve previously suggested a change to the voting system, but this might require more man-power to implement than is available.