4 ms·

Why do posts like this get flagged? Are Americans not allowed to talk about their violent culture on HN?

giantg2 3y ago
I assume it gets flagged because because it's off-topic and not a new phenomenon. You see the same arguments/comments/flames on every post that comes through here. At least if it was about some new proposed system, fundamentally new analaysis/data/tech, then it would be on-topic.
LastTrain 3y ago
It is an insanely divided topic that leads to heated exchanges which is not the kind of dialogue HN is trying to cultivate.
ThrowawayR2 3y ago
Because it's off-topic for HN. From the HN guidelines linked at the bottom of the page: "Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, ... If they'd cover it on TV news, it's probably off-topic"
trasz4 3y ago
[flagged]
- Freedom2 3y ago
  Also consider the stereotypical HN user - and it's arguably easy to draw a conclusion about why articles like these get flagged.
- dang 3y ago
  No one associated with YC flagged this article; the mods didn't even see it. It was flagged by a large number of users. This was purely a community response, and others have already pointed out what is doubtless the reason. (edit: one of the flaggers was a YC alum from 14 years ago - I'm adding that for completeness, but it doesn't change the point) > Some things are encouraged, eg being racist towards Chinese I've poured countless hours into urging HN commenters to be more tolerant on China-related topics (as on all topics, but China-related ones have been common) and moderating and/or banning the users who won't. Here's a list that I put together for another user last year: https://news.ycombinator.com/chinamod https://news.ycombinator.com/chinamod. No one could read that history with even a glimmer of fair-mindedness and conclude that "racism towards Chinese" is "encouraged" by HN mods or anyone else at YC. I've even had the honor of being "accused" (as if this would somehow be a bad thing) of being Chinese myself, because of how we moderate HN (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22608635 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22608635). The funny thing is how similar that groundless accusation was to the groundless accusation you posted here. People simply make these claims up based on a small number (perhaps as small as 1, but we can be generous and say 2 or 3) data points they randomly run across and then misinterpret according to their pre-existing views. People with pro-XYZ feelings do this and conclude that the mods are anti-XYZ. People with anti-XYZ feelings do it and conclude that we're pro-XYZ. It's just projection, and works the same way in both cases. (https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=by%3Adang%20notice%20dislike&sort=byDate&type=story&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...)
  - trasz4 3y ago
    >No one associated with YC flagged this article But there's no transparency, so there's no reason to assume it's true and not just the usual corporate PR.
    - DoreenMichele 3y ago
      For the record, I downvoted this. I have zero association with YC. Posted in the interest of providing you the transparency you desire.
    - dang 3y ago
      Mods answering questions is a form of transparency. I get that you might not believe us, but you could just as easily disbelieve any other form of transparency. In my experience, the bulk of the community is willing to believe that we tell the truth about HN moderation, if only because it would be stupid and reckless not to. Literally the only value HN has to YC is the good will of the community. To jeopardize that for a little more moderation convenience, or whatever, would be a colossally dumb trade. Believe it or not, our actual goal is never to do anything that isn't defensible to the community, such that if (heaven forbid) the entire HN dataset were ever published, there would be nothing inconsistent with what we've told the community over the years. Why then, you or someone may ask, not just publish all the data? Two reasons: (1) we need to protect users; and (2) it would make it impossible to run the site.
      - trasz4 3y ago
        >In my experience, the bulk of the community is willing to believe that we tell the truth Indeed. > if only because it would be stupid and reckless not to Not really, even if it was somehow proven. > the only value HN has to YC is the good will of the community. That's called a brand, and other brands do fine despite lying to their customers. In fact it's often considered a core part of business.
archagon 3y ago
I didn't flag it, but this is definitely the kind of topic that nothing good will ever come out of on HN. (Alas?)

I assume it gets flagged because because it's off-topic and not a new phenomenon. You see the same arguments/comments/flames on every post that comes through here. At least if it was about some new proposed system, fundamentally new analaysis/data/tech, then it would be on-topic.

LastTrain 3y ago

It is an insanely divided topic that leads to heated exchanges which is not the kind of dialogue HN is trying to cultivate.

ThrowawayR2 3y ago

Because it's off-topic for HN. From the HN guidelines linked at the bottom of the page: "Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, ... If they'd cover it on TV news, it's probably off-topic"

trasz4 3y ago

[flagged]

Freedom2 3y ago
Also consider the stereotypical HN user - and it's arguably easy to draw a conclusion about why articles like these get flagged.
dang 3y ago
No one associated with YC flagged this article; the mods didn't even see it. It was flagged by a large number of users. This was purely a community response, and others have already pointed out what is doubtless the reason. (edit: one of the flaggers was a YC alum from 14 years ago - I'm adding that for completeness, but it doesn't change the point) > Some things are encouraged, eg being racist towards Chinese I've poured countless hours into urging HN commenters to be more tolerant on China-related topics (as on all topics, but China-related ones have been common) and moderating and/or banning the users who won't. Here's a list that I put together for another user last year: https://news.ycombinator.com/chinamod https://news.ycombinator.com/chinamod. No one could read that history with even a glimmer of fair-mindedness and conclude that "racism towards Chinese" is "encouraged" by HN mods or anyone else at YC. I've even had the honor of being "accused" (as if this would somehow be a bad thing) of being Chinese myself, because of how we moderate HN (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22608635 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22608635). The funny thing is how similar that groundless accusation was to the groundless accusation you posted here. People simply make these claims up based on a small number (perhaps as small as 1, but we can be generous and say 2 or 3) data points they randomly run across and then misinterpret according to their pre-existing views. People with pro-XYZ feelings do this and conclude that the mods are anti-XYZ. People with anti-XYZ feelings do it and conclude that we're pro-XYZ. It's just projection, and works the same way in both cases. (https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=by%3Adang%20notice%20dislike&sort=byDate&type=story&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...)
- trasz4 3y ago
  >No one associated with YC flagged this article But there's no transparency, so there's no reason to assume it's true and not just the usual corporate PR.
  - DoreenMichele 3y ago
    For the record, I downvoted this. I have zero association with YC. Posted in the interest of providing you the transparency you desire.
  - dang 3y ago
    Mods answering questions is a form of transparency. I get that you might not believe us, but you could just as easily disbelieve any other form of transparency. In my experience, the bulk of the community is willing to believe that we tell the truth about HN moderation, if only because it would be stupid and reckless not to. Literally the only value HN has to YC is the good will of the community. To jeopardize that for a little more moderation convenience, or whatever, would be a colossally dumb trade. Believe it or not, our actual goal is never to do anything that isn't defensible to the community, such that if (heaven forbid) the entire HN dataset were ever published, there would be nothing inconsistent with what we've told the community over the years. Why then, you or someone may ask, not just publish all the data? Two reasons: (1) we need to protect users; and (2) it would make it impossible to run the site.
    - trasz4 3y ago
      >In my experience, the bulk of the community is willing to believe that we tell the truth Indeed. > if only because it would be stupid and reckless not to Not really, even if it was somehow proven. > the only value HN has to YC is the good will of the community. That's called a brand, and other brands do fine despite lying to their customers. In fact it's often considered a core part of business.

archagon 3y ago

I didn't flag it, but this is definitely the kind of topic that nothing good will ever come out of on HN. (Alas?)