3 ms·
That doesn't explain why an article with more points that is a newer is below an article with fewer points that is older.
by tl 9y ago
That doesn't explain why an article with more points that is a newer is below an article with fewer points that is older.
- krapp 9y agoVarious weights or penalties could automatically be applied, according to the posted domain, or the karma of the poster, or any number of factors. If more users comment than vote, that can cause the rank to drop, as it implies low comment quality. Replying too quickly triggers the flamewar detector, which drops the rank. Of course, user flags and downvotes affect the ranking, as does occational manual moderator intervention. Because the staff doesn't want people to successfully game the system, much of what goes into the ranking process here is opaque, with only a few details about it leaking out from time to time. I have no special insight into it, I just know what I sometimes read. Basically, just accept that Hacker News is not a direct democracy, but more akin the American electoral system, where your votes are more or less a suggestion passed on moderators, who make the final decision about whether or how much they count.