Do we know what fraction of active users has over 1000 karma? As someone with forty-two karma currently who only comments rarely, it's a bit scary to know my comments will face moderation to be posted, although it will surely increase the substance/message ratio, which has seemed to be decreasing some.
It's not so much that I care about the karma, as I'd post more if I did, but more that if someone asks a question that not many other users care about, but I happen to have unique insight, I'd hope that my message can get through to them. :)
It sounds like users with over 1000 karma also need to go through the pending stage. So in that sense you are still on equal footing with them. You just won't be able to vote on other pending posts.
This is especially troublesome to me with regards to posts that quickly drop off the first page. Will there be enough page views by users with karma > 1000 on posts like that to get any comments approved?
I can't speak for other longtime HN users, but I wrote my own news reader and regularly browse threads that have disappeared off the front page. Anybody with an RSS reader or other similar thingy would do the same.
It's not so much that I care about the karma, as I'd post more if I did, but more that if someone asks a question that not many other users care about, but I happen to have unique insight, I'd hope that my message can get through to them. :)