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I think HN is factoring in that transparency can also be a weakness too. When google released its page-rank algorithm it became a target for manipulation and e

I think HN is factoring in that transparency can also be a weakness too. When google released its page-rank algorithm it became a target for manipulation and entire forums got wrecked (until nofollow) with the wave of consequences it created. I think the threat of user manipulation will always outweigh that of mod manipulation. Worth considering.

tptacek 9y ago
There are layers to HN's transparency. Some policy is in the guidelines. Some policy is described in moderator comments, so if you want to keep up with it, you have to follow 'dang and 'sctb. Some policy is "public" but you'll only learn about it if you mail hn@yc and ask. Some policy won't be made public. There's no master plan behind it all, but each of these ways of handling policy has a purpose. Describing evolving policy in comments allows the moderators to be responsive and flexible without overrunning the site with metadiscussion like they would if every new decision they made was accompanied by a formal change in the guidelines. Relating policy in email discussion gives them a chance to explain it in context and to take feedback from the people most impacted or interested in that policy --- we all know votes on this site wouldn't generate that set of users. The stuff they don't make public is generally stuff we don't want made public. We forget that there are just a couple (I think literally) people running this site, and they're up against waves of people trying to create schemes to sell front page rank to spammers. They've got a sort of equilibrium that gives them a chance --- something Reddit seems to be failing at despite a much large team --- while still having the time to type out individualized contextualized explanations for all their routine moderating actions on threads (seriously, mods, figure out TextExpander or build something like it into your moderating tools).
- deleted 9y ago
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pbhjpbhj 9y ago
I assumed they didn't want transparency as, eg, showing the stories HN self-promotes would be deleterious to that promotion. It strikes me it's always worth holding that this is a subdomain of YCombinator and presumably is used to further that corporation, its controllers ideals, and its associates interests over others who might seek influence here.

tptacek 9y ago

There are layers to HN's transparency. Some policy is in the guidelines. Some policy is described in moderator comments, so if you want to keep up with it, you have to follow 'dang and 'sctb. Some policy is "public" but you'll only learn about it if you mail hn@yc and ask. Some policy won't be made public. There's no master plan behind it all, but each of these ways of handling policy has a purpose. Describing evolving policy in comments allows the moderators to be responsive and flexible without overrunning the site with metadiscussion like they would if every new decision they made was accompanied by a formal change in the guidelines. Relating policy in email discussion gives them a chance to explain it in context and to take feedback from the people most impacted or interested in that policy --- we all know votes on this site wouldn't generate that set of users. The stuff they don't make public is generally stuff we don't want made public. We forget that there are just a couple (I think literally) people running this site, and they're up against waves of people trying to create schemes to sell front page rank to spammers. They've got a sort of equilibrium that gives them a chance --- something Reddit seems to be failing at despite a much large team --- while still having the time to type out individualized contextualized explanations for all their routine moderating actions on threads (seriously, mods, figure out TextExpander or build something like it into your moderating tools).

deleted 9y ago
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pbhjpbhj 9y ago

I assumed they didn't want transparency as, eg, showing the stories HN self-promotes would be deleterious to that promotion. It strikes me it's always worth holding that this is a subdomain of YCombinator and presumably is used to further that corporation, its controllers ideals, and its associates interests over others who might seek influence here.