Yes, the higher the cost the more thought that is put into it.
Freeeeeeee goods!!!!!!! Sign me up and give me a vote!!!!
I vote for freeeeebies, every time.

Yes, zero is a special number. Even very trivial costs have a profound impact on behavior.

Undisciplined

Could it be that you have to put your money where your mouth is?
I have noticed, in the past, that when people have to pay for things, they are willing to do something different. An example would be returning shopping carts at Aldi’s because you have to pay a quarter to use it and you get your quarter back upon return.
It might also tend to cool some of the heat in posters and commenters.

Rothbardian_fanatic

Stacker Saloon

saloon

Very true. I've observed people mellow out a bit after being here for a bit, though. 

I think there's a tendency to come in hot, because that's the norm elsewhere. Over time, the incentives of Stacker News shift behavior towards being more civilized. 

You're right, though, that many people will never want to give up the ability to just spew cheap-talk into the void.