Off topic, but I am going to make a Hacker News bot that looks for this phrase, waits 1 hour and sees if the comment is still downvoted.
Or, I'm going to write a copy and paste paragraph explaining to people why it appears that a comment has been downvoted. This would include all the mechanics, how karma works in HN, voting algorithms, mod flagging, time passed etc, involved as well as human psychology at play. So, the above phrase either is honest or dishonest.
For example, in this case I would posit that yes, you actually do know why they were being downvoted, but that by writing that you were actually saying "I disagree with the others who downvoted you". There is a difference.
It could be similiar to when people say "I don't know why anyone voted for Bush". They are not expressing ignorance about the reasons, they are saying that they disagree with peoples choices. In this case, it would be dishonest. Unless the person was actually ignorant of others (it is possible), in which case it is honest.
On topic reply to an off topic comment. :) Could it also be because people use "don't know" and "don't understand" to mean the same thing in many contexts? With "don't understand" being longer to type and speak and also being more "formal" in communication than "don't know", perhaps "don't know" is used as a substitute?
In the Bush example, someone saying "I don't know why anyone voted for Bush" probably means "I don't really understand why (and with what thought process) anyone voted for Bush after everything we know about the matter."
I don't know why this always works - at least on a large enough demographic - this strategy of being literal, candid and self-aware to leave the audience with an impression of total honesty and transparency, in contrast to the rest of the surrounding dishonest, double-speaking world.
Off topic, but I am going to make a Hacker News bot that looks for this phrase, waits 1 hour and sees if the comment is still downvoted.
Or, I'm going to write a copy and paste paragraph explaining to people why it appears that a comment has been downvoted. This would include all the mechanics, how karma works in HN, voting algorithms, mod flagging, time passed etc, involved as well as human psychology at play. So, the above phrase either is honest or dishonest.
For example, in this case I would posit that yes, you actually do know why they were being downvoted, but that by writing that you were actually saying "I disagree with the others who downvoted you". There is a difference.
It could be similiar to when people say "I don't know why anyone voted for Bush". They are not expressing ignorance about the reasons, they are saying that they disagree with peoples choices. In this case, it would be dishonest. Unless the person was actually ignorant of others (it is possible), in which case it is honest.
Off-topic, as mentioned.
Edits - I do know why I am being downvoted.