This comment is a great example of how torn I am sometimes when allocating votes. At first glance, it seems like you’re just saying something insulting and possibly mean, and adding little to the conversation—verdict: downvote.
Then, I realize that this is actually a good counterargument, once the time is taken to unpack it. Clearly it would be the case that a participant in the community would think that the “idiots” aren’t the lonely voices of reason, if they actually were. If this happens frequently, then such a person would not notice the phenomenon at all.
Now I must decide whether to leave it neutral or upvote it. Since I had to do the work to get at the point of the comment, rather than having it spelled out in the comment (preferably with references where applicable), I would think it’s not worth an upvote. On the other hand, the act of working out something like this is itself valuable (as we see in Zen stories), so maybe it is worth an upvote.
“Could you give an example where you’ve seen this? In 20 years online I’ve seen it once, maybe.”
Are you aware of the famous advice regarding poker games and suckers?
This comment is a great example of how torn I am sometimes when allocating votes. At first glance, it seems like you’re just saying something insulting and possibly mean, and adding little to the conversation—verdict: downvote.
Then, I realize that this is actually a good counterargument, once the time is taken to unpack it. Clearly it would be the case that a participant in the community would think that the “idiots” aren’t the lonely voices of reason, if they actually were. If this happens frequently, then such a person would not notice the phenomenon at all.
Now I must decide whether to leave it neutral or upvote it. Since I had to do the work to get at the point of the comment, rather than having it spelled out in the comment (preferably with references where applicable), I would think it’s not worth an upvote. On the other hand, the act of working out something like this is itself valuable (as we see in Zen stories), so maybe it is worth an upvote.
YMMV.
I see quite a different perspective: