This is the perfect example of the kind of comment that should automatically get hammered to -10.

Think about the asymetry of effort. If the reply is simply "No we are not." then the site has already degenerated and is close to death. If the reply makes the simple point about the Eternal September and sites being killed by trolls, crap flooders, and general mediocrity, that is also a problem.

The person who is willing to contribute a substantial comment has been hi-jacked. Instead of making a interesting response to some-one elses substantial comment, he has spent his time on typing in stuff everybody knows. He will soon feel that his time on the site is poorly spent and will leave the site to die.

Whoops! If it is hidden, so are its children. I guess it has to be left visible, a ship on the beach being a lighthouse to the sea.

I'm not sure what you mean. Voting seems like it's one of the key features of this site, and it's still not entirely clear what it's for, how to use it, or whether it's doing its job. It seems to me that we've been fussing over voting just about the right amount.