What is wrong with people here? They lack any sense of humor. Besides, this guy is making money selling ads. I'm surprised there wasn't a solicitation for a book. Oh wait.
Humor is the gateway drug. If people start upvoting jokes, then HN will turn into Reddit. Then into Digg. Before you know it, you might as well call it HNchan.
Interesting idea. I suppose hospitals should get rid of the clowns that entertain hospitalized children. I mean, they use humor to make them laugh. I suppose medical science should retract their findings that laughter can indeed heal, since humor obviously is a destructive force.
I don't mind if people don't want to upvote a joke. That is fine by me. But, we don't need to downvote them either.
I disagree with jokes being the catalyst which will change HN into Reddit or Digg. I don't think it is the comments that turn the worm, rather the quality of the bookmarks which are submitted. If the heart is true, the body will be also.