MrHanky's Journal: Why Slashdot sucks

Real discussion is impossible on Slashdot. For anything remotely controversial, like global warming, moderators with nothing to say go amok with -1 overrated and flamebait mods. It's especially the first one that annoys me, since the moderators can't be smacked down for abuse in metamod, and overrated is too often abused. It reminds me a bit of Ned Flanders in the episode where Homer stops being stupid after having a crayon removed from his brain:

Homer: Better. I was working on a flat tax proposal and I accidentally proved there's no God. [shows Flanders a sheet of paper with complex figuring on it]
Ned: [flustered] We'll just see about that. [reads the paper] Uh-oh. Well, maybe he made a mistake. [checks it again] Nope, it's airtight. Can't let this little doozy get out. [uses a lighter to burn the "proof"]

OK, maybe that's over-valuing my comment here. To me, it seemed like stating the obvious -- not particularly insightful, but true nonetheless. Never has one of my comments been modded quicker. Flamebait. How the hell was I baiting for flames? It's hard to tell, because noone will read the comment so they can flame me.

And no, the problem isn't particular for my comment. Several others, from what I could see all on the side that value free science above the science of corporate funded "independent" research, and not bothering to "balance" their view, were smacked down.