But wait, PsychoSpunk, isn't this more of a punishment to the author of the node? Doesn't it hit him/her in the ego? Of course it does. But let's take an easy example:

Lexicon posts a question to SoPW. In five minutes, three replies have come in, and thanks to TIMTOWDI, they're all different. Also, thanks to experience, merlyn has provided the only correct answer. (Okay, so it's not likely that 2 of 3 will be wrong, but it can happen.)

Well, Lexicon now has to try all three answers to determine the validity of the "anonymous" poster. In the end, he determines that merlyn's answer is the only correct answer. But, he had to try each solution out.

Now for the current situation:

Lexicon gets his three replies. One from merlyn, one from Anonymous Monk, and one from someone who is still listed in the New Users on Newest Nodes. Simple experience tells Lexicon that merlyn is generally right, so he takes that answer, and it works for him.

Voting, in other words, is secondary to the main point of the monastery.

P.S. - little, I had to -- because I want my last sentence to mean something. If we put voting over the primary reason for perlmonks.org, we're succumbing to two minority sides that are having a tiff.

ALL HAIL BRAK!!!

agreed !
regarding your post scriptum: it is funny to see how contrary people think about that. The node consumed somewhat like 10 votes per now and have a look where it is.
Ok, but reading and writing about all that consumed how much of our time and brain?

Have a nice day
All decision is left to your taste

I hardly think this "anonymous downvoting" problem is so serious as to start giving up functionality.

Isn't that also a cost if you skip what people say which you do not know since your childhood?? Doesn't that prevent you from getting new points of view?? Do you really evaluate first WHO said something and then evaluate what he said instead of giving the CONTENT the presedence???
I'm just asking - also myself :-)

Have a nice day
All decision is left to your taste
Update
Yes, I do believe that there are also different points of view and different opinions when we talk strictly about perl.

My use of "solutions" is (or should be) a hint that I'm talking about threads that discuss a technical issue or problem, rather than opinion threads. Since I often spend half of my day without any votes left, looking over an entire "problem" thread is something I prefer to short-circuit where possible in favor of moving on to some other thread where I might have something of value to add.

If we were to staring hiding names, I'd lose the ability to take that shortcut.

Except I *always* sign my posts.

I'm really tired of the "personality voting" discussion. I may be still wet behind the ears, but this seems to apply to a very few people. We are nameless, and faceless in this community. People know ONLY what we tell them ("I am 6'2", 195 lbs. of solid muscle, with abs of steel and a 220 IQ. I enjoy long walks, and fireside chats. I love kids, and making fine furniture for the ladies. I am an expert at Kung-fu and well versed at quantum mechanics. I don't have as much time for charity as I'd like as I am raising a litter of abandoned kittens...") and by the way we act.

Eliminating personality makes this a factual database, not a community. In a community, you have friends, enemies, fun, and conflict. You have bad days (It's true. It happens.). If I act like a jerk, I expect my analog friends to say so. If someone doesn't like me, don't shake my hand. Call me a jerk. That's the way it goes. Say it too my face, if you can, but if you can't, yell it from across the street. It doesn't matter. Not everyone is going to like me, and that's OK. That's life.

I am also of the opinion that some of my posts suck so badly that you may want to -- them 2x or 3x. If you can't, vote down another of my posts. Whatever. It may not be right in my mind, but you're going to do what you're going to do.

If I am being personality voted, I *may* have a problem with my personality. I may not. It may be you, but I am open to the fact that it may be me, too.

A year ago, when someone kept harassing me trying to persuade me to do something I did not want to do, I got VERY VERY frustrated. I expressed to my wise aunt who asked me simply, "If someone asks you to dance, and you don't want to, let them do their dance. They will eventually get tired and go away." In other words, don't waste the energy dealing with people that you don't like.

Maybe I'll start posting my daily up and down votes on my home node with a small paragraph for each reasoning why I voted the way I did. Then again, I am way too lazy for that.

-OzzyOsbourne

Isn't it better to reply to the replier when his answer is not clear to you? Wouln't that more help others reading the thread? Replies should only be made to the node you want to reply to. So whether you reply to the root node or to a node of the thread (and all of them have their own little reply link next right to them). So your argument is not very strong, eh? But don't worry, mine is neither.

All I want is not ++ & -- & :-(
but
I want perl & wisdom & :-)

So I guess all I want is CONTENT?
And if hiding the authors name does support that then it's welcome to me.

Have a nice day
All decision is left to your taste