Your checklist omits the main purpose actually served by upvoting and downvoting; determining the LW consensus. The main factor (but not the only factor) determining a vote is whether the rater agrees with the poster. Perhaps that’s as it should be, since without it, LW could never evolve a party line (so to speak).
You could add agree/disagree to the list, but that would undercut your purpose, focusing on quality rather than agreement. But it isn’t abstract quality, if there is such a thing, that LW is after: it wants to advance its brand of rationalism, which requires deciding what that brand is. This is the main function of voting and karma, but it is subject to much denial.
it’s clear to me that I can get upvoted reliably if I clearly articulate and intelligently apply the LW-consensus analyses. I will get downvoted severely if I—stupidly or intelligently—articulate an original position that contradicts the LW consensus. --common_law.
Let me substantiate. Here’s a post where I recently articulated and applied the LW “line.”
On the other hand, a post in this thread, where I advance an idea that should be important to to people who build a rationalist community:
The main factor (but not the only factor) determining a vote is whether the rater agrees with the poster. Perhaps that’s as it should be, since without it, LW could never evolve a party line (so to speak).
Not to be immodest, but this insight is the product of years of watching and experimenting with LW, and I only reached it recently. If it’s true, it’s important because LW is obstructed in constructing a rational community when it ignores the primary function of its “institutions” and substitutes idealistic thinking (‘an upvote means you want more of the same’) for a functional analysis.
Once you see the actual role of karma, you might realize that it couldn’t be otherwise. A a massive intellectual community must find a way to evolve a dynamic consensus. It requires objective incentives to coordinate on a singe outlook (or on a narrow spectrum of outlooks).
In point of fact, this how leading LWers sometimes speak. For example, LukeProg argued that the community isn’t a cult around E.Y. because early on, his posts were upvoted in some cases when E.Y.’s were downvoted. LukeProg’s comment implies LW took an ideological or practical direction through the karma mechanism.
In this comment I’m not evaluating the karma mechanism but pointing out that it is L.W.’s soul.
I experiment with these things. Based on a period of years, during which I occupied different personae, it’s clear to me that I can get upvoted reliably if I clearly articulate and intelligently apply the LW-consensus analyses. I will get downvoted severely if I—stupidly or intelligently—articulate an original position that contradicts the LW consensus. As I say, I don’t see how it can be otherwise, if LW is to function as a community with consensus views on eclectic matters.
I wonder what you mean by “in theory.” If that means “according to the standard LW rhetoric,” I agree.
Your checklist omits the main purpose actually served by upvoting and downvoting; determining the LW consensus. The main factor (but not the only factor) determining a vote is whether the rater agrees with the poster. Perhaps that’s as it should be, since without it, LW could never evolve a party line (so to speak).
You could add agree/disagree to the list, but that would undercut your purpose, focusing on quality rather than agreement. But it isn’t abstract quality, if there is such a thing, that LW is after: it wants to advance its brand of rationalism, which requires deciding what that brand is. This is the main function of voting and karma, but it is subject to much denial.
In theory, upvotes are supposed to indicate what you want more of, and downvotes are what you’d like to see less of.
I don’t know how many LWers use them that way, rather than for agree/disagree.
Let me substantiate. Here’s a post where I recently articulated and applied the LW “line.”
On the other hand, a post in this thread, where I advance an idea that should be important to to people who build a rationalist community:
Not to be immodest, but this insight is the product of years of watching and experimenting with LW, and I only reached it recently. If it’s true, it’s important because LW is obstructed in constructing a rational community when it ignores the primary function of its “institutions” and substitutes idealistic thinking (‘an upvote means you want more of the same’) for a functional analysis.
Once you see the actual role of karma, you might realize that it couldn’t be otherwise. A a massive intellectual community must find a way to evolve a dynamic consensus. It requires objective incentives to coordinate on a singe outlook (or on a narrow spectrum of outlooks).
In point of fact, this how leading LWers sometimes speak. For example, LukeProg argued that the community isn’t a cult around E.Y. because early on, his posts were upvoted in some cases when E.Y.’s were downvoted. LukeProg’s comment implies LW took an ideological or practical direction through the karma mechanism.
In this comment I’m not evaluating the karma mechanism but pointing out that it is L.W.’s soul.
I experiment with these things. Based on a period of years, during which I occupied different personae, it’s clear to me that I can get upvoted reliably if I clearly articulate and intelligently apply the LW-consensus analyses. I will get downvoted severely if I—stupidly or intelligently—articulate an original position that contradicts the LW consensus. As I say, I don’t see how it can be otherwise, if LW is to function as a community with consensus views on eclectic matters.
I wonder what you mean by “in theory.” If that means “according to the standard LW rhetoric,” I agree.