I believe the negative feedback will take care of it. When (if?) the discussion will really
degenerate, people will get annoyed and strike back, and the
massive downvoting wave
will kick in, possibly followed by more drastic measures like node-reaping.
People bash at XP. Yes, I agree, it's a good attitude, wearing a button that reads
"I don't give a f*** about reputation" gives one's person a romantic, rebellious aura.
But don't forget that this system contributes to PerlMonks' excellent signal-to-noise ratio.
Yes, you can post controversial material if you feel it's your moral duty to do so, but
here at PerlMonks you can't have your cake and eat it too. Good? Bad? I believe it
helps to separate diamonds from glass, real issues from trolls.
Look what happened to this fellow (and my explanation).