But wait, PsychoSpunk, isn't this more of a punishment to the author of the node? Doesn't it hit him/her in the ego? Of course it does. But let's take an easy example:

Lexicon posts a question to SoPW. In five minutes, three replies have come in, and thanks to TIMTOWDI, they're all different. Also, thanks to experience, merlyn has provided the only correct answer. (Okay, so it's not likely that 2 of 3 will be wrong, but it can happen.)

Well, Lexicon now has to try all three answers to determine the validity of the "anonymous" poster. In the end, he determines that merlyn's answer is the only correct answer. But, he had to try each solution out.

Now for the current situation:

Lexicon gets his three replies. One from merlyn, one from Anonymous Monk, and one from someone who is still listed in the New Users on Newest Nodes. Simple experience tells Lexicon that merlyn is generally right, so he takes that answer, and it works for him.

Voting, in other words, is secondary to the main point of the monastery.

P.S. - little, I had to -- because I want my last sentence to mean something. If we put voting over the primary reason for perlmonks.org, we're succumbing to two minority sides that are having a tiff.

ALL HAIL BRAK!!!