Thanks guys, apparently this community isn't for me. The point system is just that, silly points. But I get a few bumps up from long thoughtful posts and a huge bump down for one bad one. The down votes are way out of proportion with the up votes.
The point system can discourage participation. I am a pro hacker like many here and also like many here I have very little time to contribute to boards like these. When I get so heavily down voted for something I felt was not that proportionally out of place or spammy then I wonder why I should bother to spend time here. I'm blacklisting this site from my browser.
Edit: One more thing to add. Voting is an anonymous comment, which is evil. Even worse, it is an anonymous comment with no text. People have nothing to risk in a vote. They are not putting their opinions and views out there for discussion. This is another reason I feel the vote system is flawed.
I understand your point completely, and I agree. I, too, am an exceedingly awesome world-renowned hacker who has been unfairly treated here. PG doesn't really care, or he likes it this way, or he's too busy doing other things. We need to build a TRUE hacker's community, and this website isn't it.
The point system can discourage participation. I am a pro hacker like many here and also like many here I have very little time to contribute to boards like these. When I get so heavily down voted for something I felt was not that proportionally out of place or spammy then I wonder why I should bother to spend time here. I'm blacklisting this site from my browser.
Edit: One more thing to add. Voting is an anonymous comment, which is evil. Even worse, it is an anonymous comment with no text. People have nothing to risk in a vote. They are not putting their opinions and views out there for discussion. This is another reason I feel the vote system is flawed.