zlacker

>>mmaund+(OP)
My advise to anyone here is to not dismiss downvoted comments but independently read them and form your own opinion. If it sides with the majority, great. No harm. But if it doesn't, then you can add your voice by upvoting them and expanding on their comment with your own color. I actually gravitate towards downvoted comments to see if there is some treasure, usually not but sometimes you do find interesting but awkwardly worded ideas.

History has taught us, many great ideas go against the grain... and some ideas demand going against the grain before people can realize its value.

Of course there are univerally bad comments (violence and deep contemptful hatred).

>>system+C3
> not dismiss downvoted comments but independently read them and form your own opinion

You can say that about pretty much any speech, but in this age of unlimited information available to you, you need heuristics if you want to make the most of it. Dismissing dead comments is a good one on HN in my experience. I'm more concerned about false positives (comments I choose to read because I falsely thought they would be thought-provoking) than false negatives (the comments you mention).