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Comment by robg | Hacker News Reader

I worry about this division between users but kudos to pg for trying an worthwhile test. It's an example where I wish there was some content analysis with karma to illustrate spheres of influence. But I just don't think we can ever get there with such small samples of text, as is typical of the vast majority of comments.

If you don't like the current "division" between users, then please offer some alternatives. I'm stumped. I recognize the need but I'm not sure it fits. Rather than be outed as an Orange, I might prefer some increased weight on comment upvotes but behind the scenes. At least then there could still be some behavior modification, but it would be mostly without division between the haves and have-nots.

EDIT: Maybe it's just my latent fear of getting beat up as soon as we walk out of the room?

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Hey, you've got it easy, you're orange :)

Ok, that's an attempt at humor, which I understand is risky in and of itself. But seriously, orange or not is really not relevant, what you have to say is. The more visible distinctions there are between users the more people will be given an incentive to try to game the system.

My 'alternative' would be the exact opposite, remove all distinctions between users in the layout, including the visibility of the 'points', use the points system out of sight to give/remove functionality and to influence the order in which comments and submissions are sorted.

Right, I agree. Content matters. But without some really powerful content analysis, points may be the best that can be done.

Isn't there something useful in having some feedback measure of things you've contributed? If anything, without points, I'd worry that the devaluation of comments would get much worse. At least now there is some valuation.

I don't think his idea is to remove points completely - they would still determine where the comment gets placed on a page, they just wouldn't be displayed as prominently.

This would really change the UX of the site, actually - I find myself scanning over just points/names after having read the first few posts in a long thread.

If they're all trollbait, the least offensive wins?

OK, here's my alternative:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=467574

Anything that doesn't segregate the users? Has nobody read The Sneetches? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sneetches_and_Other_Stories

I liked neilk's idea a lot better: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=466155

And jacquesm's idea best: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=467573

Why do we need to show points?

I don't mind the current model - probably need to let the paint dry before I can really judge.

An extremely popular Aussie website (http://www.whirlpool.net.au) uses a different system. For every user you can make them :( , :| , :) or :D . It then gives you an "Aura" based upon the aggregate view.

Seems to work ok, but to be honest I'm not sure people really pay that much attention. I find it useful because it helps you weed out and ignore people you specifically find trollish.

Yes, more comment influence would be more useful than the orange.

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