zlacker

>>pg+(OP)
Have comments start at -1.

(Or, better yet, -thread_depth).

>>tptace+z1
That's kind of a "my amp goes up to 11" kind of thing, isn't it? You're just changing the label for "no votes either way."

>>chc+t3
No, it assigns a cost of 2 points to commenting.

>>SandB0+f4
The problem with this is new users. When you join the site, you have 0 karma, and so would go negative if you posted a comment (assuming, of course, that you can go negative. I'd rather not experiment with that).

Of course, pg could make new users come in with 10 or so karma, just to get them started.

Now that I think a bit more about it, this could be a really good idea. It would limit new user's ability to comment and influence things until they have gained community approval of their comments and thoughts. And if they don't get that approval... too bad. If they aren't adding anything worthy of some upvotes, they are adding noise, which detracts from the experience of everyone else.