You probably underestimate the number of new users—the ones who posted their first five or ten comments, received −1 karma on each, and left the website because they felt like the community dislikes them (while in reality their only “sin” was e.g. mentioning to be women in one of those comments) -- who in alternative reality could have produced useful content for the website.
I agree that downvoting crusades and lower quality of content are mostly two separate problems that need to be addressed separately. But on some scale, one bad thing contributes to another.
You’re likely correct—turning off a new user who decides to keep posting elsewhere rather than making LW more interesting is a serious harm. While I hope most users (new and old) pay more attention to comments and replies than votes, that’s not how some are wired.
You probably underestimate the number of new users—the ones who posted their first five or ten comments, received −1 karma on each, and left the website because they felt like the community dislikes them (while in reality their only “sin” was e.g. mentioning to be women in one of those comments) -- who in alternative reality could have produced useful content for the website.
I agree that downvoting crusades and lower quality of content are mostly two separate problems that need to be addressed separately. But on some scale, one bad thing contributes to another.
You’re likely correct—turning off a new user who decides to keep posting elsewhere rather than making LW more interesting is a serious harm. While I hope most users (new and old) pay more attention to comments and replies than votes, that’s not how some are wired.