Ask HN: Is Karma on HN Useful?

I would like to know what people's thoughts are on Karma (essentially rating ideas an opinions) and how's it has affected the way people participate in online discussions.

Has karma become a form of censorship for you personally and does it actually add value to online discussion?

Some comments are better than others and that's fine, but the idea of karma kind of feels superficial and unhealthy, like tinder for people's viewpoints. At times HN just feels like a popularity contest.

Are you too afraid of downvotes to speak your mind or tell your story?