If LessWrong comments are like buildings, I think too many people vote based on whether they’re sturdy enough to live in, and too few people vote based on whether they can be looted for valuables. I think your comment can be looted for valuables and voted it up for that reason.
I’d worry about the comment providing fuel for critics looking for evidence that LessWrong is a cult, but maybe that doesn’t apply as much if it’s going to be downvoted into oblivion. (Or what afterlife do comments go to in your conceptual scheme? I’m finding it difficult to keep track.)
Who isn’t? Unless you consider yourself a mutant relative to the community, such that someone approving of a post is evidence that you will disapprove (I could see this happening to someone who browses a forum opposed to their world-view, for instance), then upvotes on a post are evidence you will approve of a post, and downvotes are evidence you won’t approve.
I suppose attraction to a post might not be strongly connected to approval of a post for all people, but it certainly seems that way.
If LessWrong comments are like buildings, I think too many people vote based on whether they’re sturdy enough to live in, and too few people vote based on whether they can be looted for valuables. I think your comment can be looted for valuables and voted it up for that reason.
I’d worry about the comment providing fuel for critics looking for evidence that LessWrong is a cult, but maybe that doesn’t apply as much if it’s going to be downvoted into oblivion. (Or what afterlife do comments go to in your conceptual scheme? I’m finding it difficult to keep track.)
You’re more attracted to upvoted posts than downvoted ones?
Who isn’t? Unless you consider yourself a mutant relative to the community, such that someone approving of a post is evidence that you will disapprove (I could see this happening to someone who browses a forum opposed to their world-view, for instance), then upvotes on a post are evidence you will approve of a post, and downvotes are evidence you won’t approve.
I suppose attraction to a post might not be strongly connected to approval of a post for all people, but it certainly seems that way.
Attraction to isn’t necessarily the same as likeliness of approval.
“Comment score below threshold/+60 children” is practically salacious. “20 points”, less so.