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Much Ado About Gas Prices
markmcb writes "It seems that a week cannot pass without finding big news about gas prices. They're up, they're down ... but why do we care so much? OmniNerd posted an article that aims to put gas prices in perspective. The author takes a look at other commodities and their price variances and applies some simple math in order to make the claim that best-gas-price-hunting is an effort that could be better used on other products. From the article, 'Why the disproportionate emphasis on gas prices in our culture, then? Although some cite a failure of politicians or media populists to account for inflation and purchasing power changes, I think it is simply because gas prices are in your face.'" IMO, the other side to the price of gas is that, especially in developed countries, it has a pervasive effect throughout all layers of the economy — food prices (because of the trucking), schools (busing), etc., etc.
Yes, it often happens in the political discussions when a moderator disagrees with you as opposed to when you are actually a troll, redundant, or off-topic, and would rather see your post have a zero so fewer people can see it, instead of intelligently debating with you.
Stupid sexy Flanders.
by a dubiously offensive yet honest assessment of the history of the link between violence and their religion. Rioting, burning, and murders ensue. The rest of the world cowers in fear at their irrational and animalistic response and bows in submission.
On the rating,
This happens a lot. The number of people moderating must be fairly small- so sometimes they can't moderate a comment they dislike all the way down if folks keep modding it up. It is why you should mostly moderate UP zero's that you think have been unfairly modded.
I've never wasted my mod points modding anything down. I've never metamoderated something down yet.
She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
Isn't metamoderating moderating the moderator? My understanding is that you're not moderating a message "down" or "up". You're judging the accuracy of the moderator.
Yup.
I've never disagreed with someone who modded something positively.
I only disagree with people who mod things down. In my experience, *most* (2/3?) mods down are incorrect and *most* (9/10?) mods up are correct.
I had a futile email conversation with cowboy neal about this. I said, why give me 10 things to meta moderate with 9 of them positive and 99% correct (rarely is an "up mod" incorrect). I asked, "Why not give a preponderance of negative mods- because that is much more likely to be a biased mod."
He just didn't understand or agree with my point.
She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.