the points-values attached to individual comments have a larger impact on what LW-readers see than do users’ karma value
True, but if the behavior of the voters change so that the former becomes less informative, the site will tend to change so that the user’s karma will come to have a larger impact. In competent software development, changes in people’s behavior will cause maor changes in the software more often than changes in the software will cause major changes in the behavior of people. (Consequently, assuming the software developers are competent, most changes to the system are best initiated as changes to behavior rather than changes to the software—and if the software developers are not competent, then the site is probably doomed anyway.) Or so it seems to me.
True, but if the behavior of the voters change so that the former becomes less informative, the site will tend to change so that the user’s karma will come to have a larger impact. In competent software development, changes in people’s behavior will cause maor changes in the software more often than changes in the software will cause major changes in the behavior of people. (Consequently, assuming the software developers are competent, most changes to the system are best initiated as changes to behavior rather than changes to the software—and if the software developers are not competent, then the site is probably doomed anyway.) Or so it seems to me.