You have a great point. It is highly likely that many topics are astroturfed on many websites, but I would think HN is too small and too specific of a target t

You have a great point. It is highly likely that many topics are astroturfed on many websites, but I would think HN is too small and too specific of a target to be of any interest to pharmaceutical companies. However, if they use a subcontractor, it could certainly "cover" HN among its astroturfing portfolio, especially if it frequently does jobs for tech companies. Some stories I read in the new section when I'm taking a break have very suspicious rises, compared to identical stories of about the same technical topic. Also, it feels funny to see the same story again the next day, as if it was "tried" but with different parameters until it catches up. Without further evidence, it is just suspicious. I hope that YC has a commercial interest in keeping the site clean from astroturfing.