As the person whose comment you are quoting you completely picked up on what I was trying to signal. Of course I still posted my comment but I felt like talking back to someone 'superior', and of course that is not the intended reason for the change but one of the not-so-nice side effects.

I personally think that the real quality measurement of comments is not up to a mere algorithm and a voting system that is so susceptible to bias.

Just looking at my posting history an hour ago or so to see what if any of my '1' rated comments I should take back considering the effect on the average karma over the last of my 50 posts, and I'd have to conclude that for me that really would reduce the value of HN to < 0.

I'd quit, that simple.

Lots of the meta discussion around this subject has been a pretty good learning experience for me, I consider the time on this 'experiment' well spent in that sense, but I think the outcome to date has only been:

- more incentive to game the system

- exploding meta discussions about the subject including one open attempt at revolt

- something deep inside me that I can not put quite in to words that makes me uncomfortable about distinguishing individuals instead by 'their cover' instead of reading what they have to say.