I would agree with you. Most topics don't even really have a clear measurement of objective accuracy. And, even when they do, it's rare that votes reflect expert's analysis of accuracy. Rather, votes on HN typically reflect one of the following:
O How well known is the individual - I'm even guilty of mindlessly clicking on a grellas comment when it has to do with Law, Security with tptacek, or patio11 on all sorts of things (Japan, Startups, SEO).
O How popular is their opinion - once again, I sometimes do this myself - when I want an endorphine rush, or my day is slow, I'll go create a comment that I know adheres to HN Philiosophy, just to enjoy racking up 40 or 50 points. Juvenile, I know, but it _feels_ good.
O How effective are they presenting - this is a bit of a mixed bag, and I'm happy to see that frequently very well argued positions are downvoted into oblivion because they are nonsense. :-)
But, with that said - the first approach actually isn't too bad - grellas/tptacek/patio11 actually _are_ worth reading, and their opinions really do count for more than a random individual - so maybe the "this personis well known and has a good track record" vote does have merit.
Regarding your second bullet - do you have an alter ego to test anti-HN sentiments as well? Not really in good taste, I know, but it would be interesting as a social experiment.
I notice that a lot of posters prefix their comments with a "damn-the-downvotes" remark, which shows that a lot of disussion is skewed toward karma-preservation. Both up and downvoting are fraught and maybe you really need both or neither one.
O How well known is the individual - I'm even guilty of mindlessly clicking on a grellas comment when it has to do with Law, Security with tptacek, or patio11 on all sorts of things (Japan, Startups, SEO).
O How popular is their opinion - once again, I sometimes do this myself - when I want an endorphine rush, or my day is slow, I'll go create a comment that I know adheres to HN Philiosophy, just to enjoy racking up 40 or 50 points. Juvenile, I know, but it _feels_ good.
O How effective are they presenting - this is a bit of a mixed bag, and I'm happy to see that frequently very well argued positions are downvoted into oblivion because they are nonsense. :-)
But, with that said - the first approach actually isn't too bad - grellas/tptacek/patio11 actually _are_ worth reading, and their opinions really do count for more than a random individual - so maybe the "this personis well known and has a good track record" vote does have merit.