Has anyone considered running analytics on this?
For example, if one were to mock up multiple sample SE posts, or clone existing ones, what would be the effect on perceptions as regards...
- ...the general public's perceptions of that post?
- ...general SE users' perceptions of that post?
- ...high rep SE users' perceptions of that post?
I feel this could be a rich area of study and could also take in other factors like number of badges, how well the community knows the account (e.g. if posts are presented as coming from accounts with very high view counts, like John Skeet) etc.
One big question is: are people much more likely to upvote posts already upvoted (or vice-versa), or accounts they already know? This would help with understanding if quality posts really do rise to the top and could help improve community standards.
