I'm pretty sure that what I described is -not- the same as HN. New here?
The advantage of one, small, upfront payment is that it discourages sockpuppeting, and thus anonymous sniping. The only way to 'downvote' something is with another piece of text with a username on it ... a lot more revealing of motive than a reflexive button-click. Discouraging for sick puppies.
You know (or don't) ... like The Well was back in the day.
