3 ms·

I recommend turning on Show Dead as well, some of the most insightful commenters show up there. It's not a quality filter as much as a d*ng flavor

dredmorbius 3y ago
I subscribe to HN with "showdead" enabled and have for years. Maybe ... once every month or few I find a comment that really shouldn't have been killed. I'll tick the "vouch" link, or for particular head-scratchers, email the mods. Most often it's new accounts ("greens") which have tripped an automated filter. Many times though the comments are from banned sockpuppet profiles (repeat registrations by the same person or organisation), according to moderator responses. (Tracking user history back to a moderator admonishment is ... difficult. In particular, it's not possible to search for comments in response to a specific user. If I could search for "by:dang in-reponse-to:banned_profile" that'd be easier. I suspect mods have better tools.)
joshstrange 3y ago
Ehh, I’ve had it on for almost the whole time I’ve been on HN, the comments that are “dead” always have good reason to be in my experience. Calling them “insightful” does not jive with what I’ve seen at all. It’s often ranting or very clear rule violations.
- wahnfrieden 3y ago
  There is a wider split between quality. The ones who know they are dead don't expect replies so that does affect their style of posting. Civility is overrated
  - pavlov 3y ago
    Not really. I also keep showdead on. The only quality comments there are occasional glimmers of brilliance from single-issue ranters who are otherwise excruciatingly tiresome in their monotonous pursuits.
- mh- 3y ago
  As someone who has also had it on for ~10 years, couple exceptions I'd add: - New accounts (or long-dormant accounts that suddenly post). I presume there's some kind of filter they're tripping. I try to "vouch" these every time I see them, if they're contributing. - Good comment, but when I click into their history, they have enough rightfully-flagged-to-dead comments, that it makes sense. Very occasionally (like <1 in 1000) I'll come across a comment that is dead, and their history makes it look like they've been making good comments without realizing they're dead. I also click vouch on these.
  - johnnyanmac 3y ago
    I really hate how hostile the modern internet is to a new user. Nothing more discouraging and gate-keeping than wanting to share your knowledge and then suddenly nothing you post or comment passes through. It's also ironic how other circles of the internet seem to yearn for "original" contnent, but moderation only allows content from the typical same 10 websites.
  - arp242 3y ago
    HN also automatically marks some comments with keywords; for example this one because it had "cirlejerk" in it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36217592 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36217592 (I suppose this one might be [dead] initially too?)
sanderjd 3y ago
I prefer Show Dead as well, but it's definitely not the case that the commenters there are insightful. Every once in a blue moon I see a dead comment that is a shame is dead, but it is very very rare.
- wahnfrieden 3y ago
  I didn't say that most or many of the dead commenters are quality
kergonath 3y ago
I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of insightful dead comments I have read in the past year (and I read all the dead comments I come across). The vast, vast majority of dead posts deserve it.

dredmorbius 3y ago

I subscribe to HN with "showdead" enabled and have for years. Maybe ... once every month or few I find a comment that really shouldn't have been killed. I'll tick the "vouch" link, or for particular head-scratchers, email the mods. Most often it's new accounts ("greens") which have tripped an automated filter. Many times though the comments are from banned sockpuppet profiles (repeat registrations by the same person or organisation), according to moderator responses. (Tracking user history back to a moderator admonishment is ... difficult. In particular, it's not possible to search for comments in response to a specific user. If I could search for "by:dang in-reponse-to:banned_profile" that'd be easier. I suspect mods have better tools.)

joshstrange 3y ago

Ehh, I’ve had it on for almost the whole time I’ve been on HN, the comments that are “dead” always have good reason to be in my experience. Calling them “insightful” does not jive with what I’ve seen at all. It’s often ranting or very clear rule violations.

wahnfrieden 3y ago
There is a wider split between quality. The ones who know they are dead don't expect replies so that does affect their style of posting. Civility is overrated
- pavlov 3y ago
  Not really. I also keep showdead on. The only quality comments there are occasional glimmers of brilliance from single-issue ranters who are otherwise excruciatingly tiresome in their monotonous pursuits.
mh- 3y ago
As someone who has also had it on for ~10 years, couple exceptions I'd add: - New accounts (or long-dormant accounts that suddenly post). I presume there's some kind of filter they're tripping. I try to "vouch" these every time I see them, if they're contributing. - Good comment, but when I click into their history, they have enough rightfully-flagged-to-dead comments, that it makes sense. Very occasionally (like <1 in 1000) I'll come across a comment that is dead, and their history makes it look like they've been making good comments without realizing they're dead. I also click vouch on these.
- johnnyanmac 3y ago
  I really hate how hostile the modern internet is to a new user. Nothing more discouraging and gate-keeping than wanting to share your knowledge and then suddenly nothing you post or comment passes through. It's also ironic how other circles of the internet seem to yearn for "original" contnent, but moderation only allows content from the typical same 10 websites.
- arp242 3y ago
  HN also automatically marks some comments with keywords; for example this one because it had "cirlejerk" in it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36217592 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36217592 (I suppose this one might be [dead] initially too?)

sanderjd 3y ago

I prefer Show Dead as well, but it's definitely not the case that the commenters there are insightful. Every once in a blue moon I see a dead comment that is a shame is dead, but it is very very rare.

wahnfrieden 3y ago
I didn't say that most or many of the dead commenters are quality

kergonath 3y ago

I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of insightful dead comments I have read in the past year (and I read all the dead comments I come across). The vast, vast majority of dead posts deserve it.