Let me tell you, I ain't in it for the karma. Upvotes are rare enough that it's not worthwhile if that's your goal. Across hundreds of times I'd estimate I've averaged ~1.2 karma per, if that.

I do it as a courtesy to be nice / less of a jerk, because I really dislike popups and paywalls, and out of appreciation. I always enjoy the read more when someone else has already taken care of it.

When you see one pinned at the top, it's very likely because Dang has marked it rather than community support in the form of votes. People even downvote the archive links quite frequently.

Shrug

HN points are the dumbest game ever. On the other hand, the interactions and content are occasionally amazing.