QUOTE(cyofee @ Sun 25th October 2009, 6:02pm)
QUOTE
So if someone says their argument is essentially in agreement with someone else who posted earlier than they did, their vote was discounted...?
It's in line with the "we're not counting votes but actually we are oh wait we aren't but still we are" that characterizes Wikipedia.
Maybe it means that someone who took the time to type a wall of text feels more strongly about the issue than someone who just said "X, per Y".
I think the argument is that they're counting reasons, not votes. But the reality is that most people pick the method of determining the result depending on what they want the result to be. Especially when they close right at or before the deadline.