TheOtherDave comments on Undiscriminating Skepticism - Less Wrong

97 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 14 March 2010 11:23PM

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Comment author: TheOtherDave 20 April 2012 03:28:07AM 1 point [-]

I generally avoid downvoting comments that are direct responses to me. I'm not exactly sure why, beyond a sense that it just feels wrong, although I can justify it in a number of different ways that I'm pretty sure aren't my real reasons.

Comment author: Nornagest 20 April 2012 03:37:40AM *  1 point [-]

I do the same. The reasoning that comes to mind is that the timing tends to imply that you did it, and that that -- especially if you're already in an adversarial mode -- can provoke a cycle of retaliation that's harmful to your karma and doesn't carry much informative value. Short of that, I feel it carries adversarial implications that're harmful to the quality of discussion.

I'm reasonably sure that that's my true objection.

Comment author: TheOtherDave 20 April 2012 01:18:02PM 0 points [-]

Yeah, that's plausible in my case as well. Evidence in favor of it is that I do become mildly anxious when people who are responding to me get downvoted by others, which suggests that I fear retaliation.