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
It could discourage dialogue. Some very good, troll-free, threads are also very deep.

>>rbanff+4b
Perhaps after a certain number of comments in a thread, it would no longer cost karma to make additional comments? For the first one to three comments, it requires a 2 karma down payment, following which you're free to have open dialogue.