

A kind reminder to the community: please (re)read the HN guidelines - notkarmawhore
http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html?

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bayareaguy
The guidelines are short enough that they could go on the actual
<http://news.ycombinator.com/submit> page or at the very least there should be
a link to <http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html> there.

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timr
Whoever you are, notakarmawhore, thanks for registering a dummy account to do
this. Personally, I am far less annoyed by down-voting, trolling and bias,
than I am by the people who are increasingly using "community" posts to bump
their karma.

In particular, the "Ask YC/Ask PG" posts ( _"Ask PG: what color is your belly
button lint?"_ ) were cool at first, but lately, they're contributing less
signal, and more noise.

~~~
derefr
Perhaps there should be an option for this on the submission page: almost
"post anonymously", but you'd still have to log in to do it (though your name
won't appear on the submission), and if the karma of the article became
_negative_ it would still apply to you.

~~~
cstejerean
Articles can't have negative karma, and I think the only incentive to not
posting a lot of crap is the reputation you build with your peers. Anonymous
posts would take away from that.

~~~
derefr
Well, the admins/editors would still know who you were, and could chastise you
privately. Perhaps, further, only accounts with high amounts (>100?) of karma
could post anonymously?

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eru
That would be strange indeed - when you can just make up a new account
instead.

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babul
Its good (s)he put this up. It does clarify things, and many people have
missed it.

For example, I only saw these guidelines for first time 11hrs ago, and I've
been here for 39 days.

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falsestprophet
How is this hacker news?

~~~
gruseom
Now that is the funniest thing I've seen in ages. At least I hope you mean it
that way.

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maurycy
Could you give more details what's wrong?

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rkts
This is definitely not going well:

"Be civil. Don't say things you wouldn't say in a face to face conversation.

"When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. E.g.
'That is an idiotic thing to say; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3' can be shortened to '1 +
1 is 2, not 3.'"

~~~
ConradHex
The problem I see is this: when people disobey this rule, lately they don't
get modded down. The rudeness level seems to be rising significantly.

How do you mod a comment down, anyway?

~~~
xlnt
get ~25 karma, then you can

~~~
brfox
Not to be an old-timer snob (because I haven't actually been here very long,
but I hung onto reddit from the start until I couldn't take it any longer, and
I really like the current style here)... anyway...

Here's an idea: Don't allow people to up-vote on ANYTHING (stories or
comments) until they get a karma of 25.

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LPTS
I much prefer the actual aggression that results in people seeming rude when
they forcefully present their views to this sort of passive aggression.

~~~
michaelneale
I think the majority of people disagree (in face to face communications).
Although passive aggressive is not good, its far more common to behave that
way face to face then outright aggression.

And the guidelines talk about making it more like face to face and less like
traditional online forums.

~~~
LPTS
I think a culture where people aggressively argue their views is better. But,
people need to not identify too much with their ideas. They need to be able to
say "switch" and start arguing the other side with the same intensity. But
that intensity is going to be the difference between good and great.

And I'm fine with the majority of people disagreeing with me. The majority of
people are idiots happy with good enough. :)

~~~
michaelneale
>I think a culture where people aggressively argue their views is better.

I disagree (but I upmodded you). >But, people need to not identify too much
with their ideas. They need to be able to say "switch" and start arguing the
other side with the same intensity.

Yes - that is informed debate - but I don't think that is what people are
arguing against - its more the silly stuff that every other forum ever created
seems to degrade to.

>The majority of people are idiots happy with good enough. :)

Well thats just mean ;) And certainly not something you would say to a "happy
idiot" in person. Not if you want to achieve anything other then a punch in
the face anyway ;)

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LPTS
"And certainly not something you would say to a "happy idiot" in person."

You obviously haven't met me.

~~~
michaelneale
No but I have met many like you. Well not many, but some. And its not common.

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redorb
would have more effect if written by PG or nickb, instead a person who has 12
karma and created their account an hour ago. I'm not saying this community
doesn't need a refresher in discipline but who is this guy to give it.

~~~
xlnt
his account name says he's not karma whoring. in other words, he made a new
account just to avoid getting free karma on his main account.

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rory096
Indeed. And even if he were some new user who wasn't pg, his point would still
be valid, and shouldn't just be dismissed offhand.

~~~
redorb
sorry thought the name was a cheap shot at other users, instead of the obvious
of what it was, good 2nd point.

