This is also a good argument for splitting the submission votes from the comment votes. You can probably rack up decent submission points with a halfway intelligent script, which a little bit harder in the case of commenting. It might reflect my own use of the site but I also see HN as more of a commenting place than a link-finding place. Most of the (non-meta) links that end up on HN are already making the rounds elsewhere. The chatter can still be interesting though, even when hanging off some insipid TC post.