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wedrifid comments on A case study in fooling oneself - Less Wrong Discussion

-2 Post author: Mitchell_Porter 15 December 2011 05:25AM

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Comment author: wedrifid 15 December 2011 06:29:01AM 6 points [-]

Is LW supposed to be a popularity contest, where gang affiliation is measured in the "karma" one has gained by not stepping on the toes of those who might down-vote (whatever that means) something they either dislike or don't comprehend (and don't want to admit they don't comprehend)?

I can assure you that stepping on toes doesn't interfere with karma gain all that much.

Comment author: argumzio 15 December 2011 06:33:43AM 4 points [-]

That sounds believable. My post has already been down-voted. Why? Who knows.

Comment author: wedrifid 15 December 2011 06:37:46AM 7 points [-]

That sounds believable. My post has already been down-voted. Why? Who knows.

I downvoted you for the troll speak - that is, the billigerent defiance of the negative perception of your own behavior and the generalization of the defiance of karma to all cases, not just a specific disagreement.

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Comment author: wedrifid 15 December 2011 06:47:35AM 4 points [-]

The behavior isn't negative, but the perception of it is, therefore I'm unjustified in being quite disgusted by it?

I express disgust with specific instances of voting. I downvote generalised defiance and "I'm going to leave" bluster. It's not a big deal - I just prefer that people don't make comments like that and so I downvote them.

And suggesting that someone is a troll is by far the most bathetic exercise of non-rational discourse. But, go ahead, down-vote this, too, if you feel better by it.

The specific comment contained trollspeak - you are not a troll.

Comment author: argumzio 15 December 2011 06:52:13AM 1 point [-]

I express disgust with specific instances of voting.

Okay, I see your point. But the way the voting system is set up, it generalizes across one's presence on the website, hence "karma".

To be clear, I wasn't being "defiant". I asked a very specific question, expecting specific input, not a down-vote and being told (in a "put up or shut up" fashion) that I am just wrong. Well, LW is looking less inviting as a place for truly "rational discourse". But I digress.

"I'm going to leave" bluster.

I thought it was clear that if the question was answered in the affirmative (with clear reasoning), then it would be reasonable for someone to leave such a forum. I stand by that, too, because it would be a waste of my time to put thought into posts and to have them down-voted out of existence. It is wise for a community (if that's what it is) to consider its own nature from a meta-stand point. Is LW a treasure trove of instances of "fooling oneself"? A case study leads to many others.

wedrifid comments on A case study in fooling oneself - Less Wrong Discussion

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