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Another explanation: certain people - or an algorithm - will do anything to get hot topics off the front page. The moment any discussion starts to get "interes

Another explanation: certain people - or an algorithm - will do anything to get hot topics off the front page. The moment any discussion starts to get "interesting", regardless of who it is about, that moment it drops like a stone. I guess it happens to any post where a number of people get lots of both upvotes and downvotes or where a number of answers are flagged. In that regard this site is like a young child of mine who has grown up in such a happy home that when I sometimes say no to some idea my wife has that child is wondering if we are going to divorce :-/ In the same way, on this site people are so polite that either the flamewar detector or a number of users has become way too sensitive. (That said: IMO it is a good thing that my children never see their parents argue in anger and it is a good thing that people are used to everyone being polite here, I just wish we could be a tiny bit less sensitive. Some hot topics actually should be discussed some times, like this one.) There's a link to contact the mods at the bottom of the page. They (most often dang) usually reply, and it seems they use the feedback to tune the system. (Yes BTW, this account is young, but I have been here a long time)

ColinWright 7y ago
> ... either the flamewar detector or a number of users has become way too sensitive. This hasn't triggered the flame-war filter, because the number of up-votes is still higher than the number of comments. > ... certain people - or an algorithm - will do anything to get hot topics off the front page. Or not necessarily hot topics, just specifically topics that highlight, even if only tangentially, that women are often driven out of tech by harassment, including threats of rape and death, including to their families. > The moment any discussion starts to get "interesting", regardless of who it is about, that moment it drops like a stone. There are many, many discussions that get "interesting" without that happening. > ... any post ... lots of both upvotes and downvotes ... You can't downvote a submission. > Some hot topics actually should be discussed some times, like this one. Yes, although the evidence suggests that rational discussion about this topic isn't possible, especially in a forum like this one. I genuinely long for the day the topic can be discussed constructively, and even more for the day it's a complete non-issue. I doubt I'll see either. > There's a link to contact the mods at the bottom of the page. I suspect the mods are happy to see this sink, because the alternative is that it will erupt into an unpleasant cesspit of people thinking/claiming that they are being logical and rational, when really they aren't. > ... [the mods] ... usually reply, and it seems they use the feedback to tune the system. They are the reason the site remains even remotely interesting and useful.

ColinWright 7y ago

> ... either the flamewar detector or a number of users has become way too sensitive. This hasn't triggered the flame-war filter, because the number of up-votes is still higher than the number of comments. > ... certain people - or an algorithm - will do anything to get hot topics off the front page. Or not necessarily hot topics, just specifically topics that highlight, even if only tangentially, that women are often driven out of tech by harassment, including threats of rape and death, including to their families. > The moment any discussion starts to get "interesting", regardless of who it is about, that moment it drops like a stone. There are many, many discussions that get "interesting" without that happening. > ... any post ... lots of both upvotes and downvotes ... You can't downvote a submission. > Some hot topics actually should be discussed some times, like this one. Yes, although the evidence suggests that rational discussion about this topic isn't possible, especially in a forum like this one. I genuinely long for the day the topic can be discussed constructively, and even more for the day it's a complete non-issue. I doubt I'll see either. > There's a link to contact the mods at the bottom of the page. I suspect the mods are happy to see this sink, because the alternative is that it will erupt into an unpleasant cesspit of people thinking/claiming that they are being logical and rational, when really they aren't. > ... [the mods] ... usually reply, and it seems they use the feedback to tune the system. They are the reason the site remains even remotely interesting and useful.