Perplexed comments on Costs and Benefits of Scholarship - Less Wrong

40 Post author: lukeprog 22 March 2011 02:19AM

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Comment author: Perplexed 23 March 2011 04:45:59AM 4 points [-]

Someone who is overly censorious in the real world loses social capital, and I think that is a very good thing.

Someone who is insufficiently censorious also loses social capital, in almost all societies throughout history. The notion that it is best to be maximally nonjudgmental is a recent idea which is not particularly prevalent outside the urban West. And not a particularly good idea either.

As regards the received view within this community on use of downvoting to express disapproval, you'd better read this.

Comment author: [deleted] 23 March 2011 05:40:13AM 1 point [-]

The notion that it is best to be maximally nonjudgmental is a recent idea

I am not in any way shape or form pushing this idea. It is a straw man. What I suggested was an adjustment to the current system which brings it more into line with how the real world works. The real world is not pacifist. It is not nonjudgmental. And those who enforce good behavior pay a price, because freedom is not free. That is what I am using as a model, and not a maximally nonjudgmental system.

The real world is ruled by economics, by every action having a certain cost. It is the cost of action which causes us to choose wisely what we do. I am suggesting tweaking the economics of karma, because I think it could stand to be improved.

Comment author: Perplexed 23 March 2011 04:15:33PM 2 points [-]

The real world is ruled by economics, by every action having a certain cost.

Yes, all actions have a cost (though, of course, not necessarily a net cost). But your suggested fix - penalizing a downvoter two whole karma points - attaches no corresponding penalty to upvoting. Why not?

If you had suggested something more balanced that penalized both up- and down-votes, then I might not have jumped in to chide you for 'pacifism'. And if your proposal had also made upvoting and downvoting of top-level articles particularly expensive, then I might have supported you.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 23 March 2011 07:43:18AM 1 point [-]

Does anyone keep track of whether other people downvote?

Comment author: Perplexed 23 March 2011 03:56:15PM 0 points [-]

As far as I know, no one can keep track ... which fact pretty much destroys my implicit argument regarding a socially enforced duty to be an enforcer. At least as it applies to downvoting. Thx for bringing me back to reality.