Whenever I get downvoted for something, I tend to have another comment on the same page that says nearly the same thing and gets upvoted just as much, so it all evens out. Can't say I get any information out of this.

That, and, well, there isn't _really_ a cost to burning Karma, it's all the same anyway. I find it much better and more interesting to speak truthfully (while not being an asshole!) than just to go with the hive mind.

>I find it much better and more interesting to speak truthfully (while not being an asshole!)

But that’s just it, the truth will always be offensive to someone. You’ll always be the asshole to “someone”. If we structure discourse around never being perceived as an asshole by anyone we effectively yield the zeitgeist to whoever is the biggest crybaby.

It’s not just this site, this line of thinking has infected most western dialog.

I don't think that's what he means. Clearly sometimes you just upset people, however you can be careful to minimize it.

If you matter at all you’re going to offend more people than you even know exist.

The entire metric is flawed and useless.

Absolutely, I've always held karma both on here and reddit as a resource that is to be spent when needed.

That's not to say, "be an arsehole" or go against ToS, but definitely it's made me willing to stand my ground even when I hold unpopular opinions or opinions where my culture clashes with the dominant one.

Hacker News caps downvotes so it’s quite easy to actually say what you need to at times where it’s important. (Before someone says something like “but I got shadowbanned for doing this” consider it you 1. followed the guidelines while doing so and 2. actually backed your position up with evidence.)

>but what's the point of getting it if you can't spend it occasionally when you really have something you need to say?

Because if you do it enough you’ll find yourself with a 3 comment per hour rate limit or shadowban. The moderation here actively discourages meaningful discussion in favor of sterile communication. It’s boring.