[I had mistakenly replied to my own post instead of yours. ]
Yes, giving (or not giving) someone the benefit of the doubt
It shouldn't be about him, it should be about his post. Maybe he's in league with Lucifer too, but that doesn't make any of his posts any more true or false.
you'll probably guess that for whatever reason they're having a bad day. Whereas if someone whose contributions you regard as generally useless posts something stupid-looking you'll probably just think "oh yeah, them again". And there's nothing wrong with any of that.
If having a bad day means writing a bad post, then you get a downvote.
You're just letting your prior on the person determine your vote. Which you say you disapprove of.
Yes, it is a violation of the professed norms around here to vote something down just because you disapprove of its author's views.
a (larger) few are really offended by it,
I'm not really big on giving offense utility monsters a veto. Once you pay the Dane-geld, you never get rid of the Dane.
People are offended at PUA. Do they really not comprehend that plenty of people find their views offensive in turn? Just as everyone is the hero in their own story, there's a pretty good chance you're the villain in the stories of a lot of other people.
But I admit that's something of the clash of civilizations going on here. Many people feel that their group's "offense" should tally up in the utility machine, and they should thereby get their way. I don't.
where it doesn't belong
So it doesn't belong in the Open Thread?
Anyway: as I say, I think it's a shame if something gets a huge pile of negative karma merely for being politically unpopular. But unacceptable or inconsistent with professed norms hereabouts? No, I don't think so.
You just said:
Yes, it is a violation of the professed norms around here to vote something down just because you disapprove of its author's views.
It shouldn't be about him, it should be about his post.
When a post is somewhat ambiguous, it's reasonable to consider its context. That includes considering who posted it and what their likely reasons were. (Because it influences what is likely to happen in the ensuing discussion, if any.)
I'm not really big on giving offense utility monsters a veto.
Just as well no one suggested that, then. If you're suggesting that I am proposing giving offense utility monsters a veto, then I politely request that you reread the whole of the sentence from which you ...
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
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