I thought it meant "nice contribution to the conversation". It's easy to come to this conclusion when you think down-vote means "you're not contributing". I up-voted many comments I totally disagree and down-voted many I agree (because they were unrelated to the discussion). Am I a minority?
Well, the HN guidelines[1] do not mention any rule as what constitutes 'right' voting criteria. As a regular HN user of over 6 years it feels even surreal to be in a discussion about the basic features of this wonderful platform. It's never wrong to question the basic premises of life, though(;
I do believe we have the a similar kind of understanding for when to up-vote. What is a 'nice contribution to the conversation' other than arguments or facts that 'I do agree with' in them being a nice contribution to the conversation.
I fear we would have to have a meta-discussion on the concepts of good and bad and how they are flawed in that there are no montains without valleys^^