[shanked]

Up/down arrows are not synonyms for agree/disagree but are supposed to reward people for providing valuable additions to the conversation.

Too many times have I seen people downvoted because they provide an unpopular perspective on a topic. This results in HN turning into a circle jerk of similar discussions/ideas and avoids some of the most truly interesting conversations. To me, this is the single biggest threat to HN.

Why would anyone mention any radical ideas when the masses downvote them because it does not match their own?