Basically, there's a place for humor and there's a place for constructive dialogue. You'd think the two would go hand in hand, but a voting system like HN proves that it's a tough thing to do.
Here's how it works. Give people a soapbox, a place for them to develop their own writing styles and personalities, and humor and pathos tend to develop. I see it in every blog that I read and like: every voice is different and unique because they're able to experiment and develop themselves, and then they get an audience.
On Hacker News, users are depersonalized. That is to say, Hacker News is about the community as a whole rather than as unalone or knightinblue. Our contributions are valued, but only as long as we're being a part of the community. Say you're having problems with an ex-wife. Say I've been learning how to play basketball. These things may be a big part of our lives, but they don't have a place in Hacker News. So we leave a part of ourselves at the door when we post here. In reward, we have a community that has thus far managed not to turn petty and immature, where you can discuss things with a lot of people without there being memorable characters and personalities distracting from the conversation.
In fact, the people whose names I do know tend to be ones I wish I didn't know. Certain people stand out to be because they do use HN in a way outside the norm. Some people I remember for being over-the-top sarcastic and scathing. Some people use Hacker News like a soapbox, an attention-getter space. I'm sure that in some ways, my own habit of writing lengthy posts stands out and irritates some people, because I'll often go into more detail than seems warranted with an initial post.
So the emphasis in what you said is dialogue. When an individual is speaking, personality becomes a big thing. But in a productive conversation, personality becomes a deterrent that distracts from the important details.
Here's how it works. Give people a soapbox, a place for them to develop their own writing styles and personalities, and humor and pathos tend to develop. I see it in every blog that I read and like: every voice is different and unique because they're able to experiment and develop themselves, and then they get an audience.
On Hacker News, users are depersonalized. That is to say, Hacker News is about the community as a whole rather than as unalone or knightinblue. Our contributions are valued, but only as long as we're being a part of the community. Say you're having problems with an ex-wife. Say I've been learning how to play basketball. These things may be a big part of our lives, but they don't have a place in Hacker News. So we leave a part of ourselves at the door when we post here. In reward, we have a community that has thus far managed not to turn petty and immature, where you can discuss things with a lot of people without there being memorable characters and personalities distracting from the conversation.
In fact, the people whose names I do know tend to be ones I wish I didn't know. Certain people stand out to be because they do use HN in a way outside the norm. Some people I remember for being over-the-top sarcastic and scathing. Some people use Hacker News like a soapbox, an attention-getter space. I'm sure that in some ways, my own habit of writing lengthy posts stands out and irritates some people, because I'll often go into more detail than seems warranted with an initial post.
So the emphasis in what you said is dialogue. When an individual is speaking, personality becomes a big thing. But in a productive conversation, personality becomes a deterrent that distracts from the important details.