Flagging is NOT a means of downvoting. If there was a downvote, downvote would mean "On topic for HN, but I don't want to read it." Flag would mean, "Off topic

Flagging is NOT a means of downvoting. If there was a downvote, downvote would mean "On topic for HN, but I don't want to read it." Flag would mean, "Off topic for HN whether I want to read it or not." For example, I enjoy free-riding, but I would flag most articles about it. Except maybe an article about how the North Shore movement got started by people building secret trails and using ladder bridges and other contrivances to sculpt trails over unrideable terrain... That's hacking of a sort.