The Zen of HN

#1

Post by functional-tree » Mon, Jun 22, 2009, 4:09 PM UTC

Re: The Zen of HN

#2

Post by mcav » Mon, Jun 22, 2009, 4:09 PM UTC

Python has cool, witty Zen. This is not as cool and hardly witty, but I figured I'd take a stab at it and let the rest of you improve or rewrite it. It's on GitHub, and I'm no poet, so feel free to edit/fork/dismiss as you see fit.

Re: The Zen of HN

#3

Post by cool-RR » Mon, Jun 22, 2009, 4:20 PM UTC

I don't think downvotes should be used for disagreeing.

Re: The Zen of HN

#4

Post by mcav » Mon, Jun 22, 2009, 4:23 PM UTC

cool-RR wrote: post #3

I don't think downvotes should be used for disagreeing.

Right; that was intended to mean that people sometimes use them for disagreement, despite that they probably shouldn't. Any thoughts on a better wording?

Re: The Zen of HN

#5

Post by thras » Mon, Jun 22, 2009, 4:34 PM UTC

Personally, I always downvote based upon human worth. Upvotes? Only if I think you're hot.

Re: The Zen of HN

#6

Post by RiderOfGiraffes » Mon, Jun 22, 2009, 4:34 PM UTC

mcav wrote: post #4

cool-RR wrote: post #3

I don't think downvotes should be used for disagreeing.

Right; that was intended to mean that people sometimes use them for disagreement, despite that they probably shouldn't. Any thoughts on a better wording?

Disagree by constructive counter-comment, reserve down-mods for disapproval.

Re: The Zen of HN

#7

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Jun 22, 2009, 4:38 PM UTC

mcav wrote: post #4

cool-RR wrote: post #3

I don't think downvotes should be used for disagreeing.

Right; that was intended to mean that people sometimes use them for disagreement, despite that they probably shouldn't. Any thoughts on a better wording?

[deleted]

Re: The Zen of HN

#8

Post by _cbsz » Mon, Jun 22, 2009, 4:38 PM UTC

Ironically, this article violates its urge to "meta-discuss sparingly" by meta-discussing for a whole article. (Attempts to point out the same irony in this comment will suffer from the same problem.)

Re: The Zen of HN

#9

Post by cool-RR » Mon, Jun 22, 2009, 4:39 PM UTC

thras wrote: post #5

Personally, I always downvote based upon human worth. Upvotes? Only if I think you're hot.

I think not many people feel attracted to you right now.

Re: The Zen of HN

#10

Post by gizmo » Mon, Jun 22, 2009, 4:39 PM UTC

mcav wrote: post #4

cool-RR wrote: post #3

I don't think downvotes should be used for disagreeing.

Right; that was intended to mean that people sometimes use them for disagreement, despite that they probably shouldn't. Any thoughts on a better wording?

Without putting much thought into it: "Downvotes mark comments without merit"

If something has educational, thoughtful, contrarian (encourages discussion), etc merit it's welcome on HN. If a comment has nothing going for it; is just lame, or a pun, or an unnecessary meta comment, then a downvote makes sense.