3 ms·

Ask HN: Is the Ask HN algorithm broken?

I don't understand the ranking algorithm looking in the ask section on HN For example I saw a post with time 6 hours ago with 7 upvotes ranks higher than a post with 22 upvotes 1 hour ago? What is the logic of the ranking? I've noticed this a lot recently, as in the last year or so Also why is a post from 2 weeks ago still on the front page of ask? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44448461 Anyone understand this algo?

isaacvando 1y ago
How did this end up on the front page with 0 comments??
- charliebwrites 1y ago
  By making this comment you changed the outcome
- Jtsummers 1y ago
  Enough upvotes in a short enough time. Now it'll be up there a bit longer because there's active discussion.
- mellosouls 1y ago
  mod mischief
heywintermute 1y ago
Mods have a way of boosting posts to refresh them back into the algorithm hence why you see some posts weeks ago showing back up
- tough 1y ago
  second chance pool
  - toomuchtodo 1y ago
    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308
Jtsummers 1y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44595003 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44595003 I'm guessing you're asking because of this submission (yours) from a little while ago that's somehow even off the Ask page, not just the front page, despite having a good amount of active discussion. Ask HN seems to be more sensitive to two things than other discussions: 1. Comment:Score ratio. The ratio of comments to points is 3:1, 69 comments and 23 points as I write this. None of the discussion threads are very deep, but when a discussion has a lot of comments but not a lot of points it tends to get moderated (automatically, not by dang & co.) down faster. This probably relates to the flame war detection, though I've seen that kick in more often when comment threads get very deep and more linear than branching. 2. Flags. When Ask HN submissions get flagged, they move down faster than article submissions. The Parekh discussion has a high score and a high comment count, so (1) is not applicable to it (more comments than points, but more like 4:3 so not over whatever the threshold may be). I have no idea if it was flagged, but if it was since it had active discussion the mods can turn off flags (as it impacts rankings) on a submission by submission basis.
- alexathrowawa9 1y ago
  Makes sense, I can see #1 being an issue
elpocko 1y ago
The points shown on a post are misleading. There are other, mostly invisible factors influencing the ranking of all posts, not just Ask HN. You can't even trust the timestamps on posts and comments, because mods occasionally decide to falsify them and make you think you're going crazy by inducing feelings of deja-vu.

isaacvando 1y ago

How did this end up on the front page with 0 comments??

charliebwrites 1y ago
By making this comment you changed the outcome
Jtsummers 1y ago
Enough upvotes in a short enough time. Now it'll be up there a bit longer because there's active discussion.
mellosouls 1y ago
mod mischief

heywintermute 1y ago

Mods have a way of boosting posts to refresh them back into the algorithm hence why you see some posts weeks ago showing back up

tough 1y ago
second chance pool
- toomuchtodo 1y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308

Jtsummers 1y ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44595003 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44595003 I'm guessing you're asking because of this submission (yours) from a little while ago that's somehow even off the Ask page, not just the front page, despite having a good amount of active discussion. Ask HN seems to be more sensitive to two things than other discussions: 1. Comment:Score ratio. The ratio of comments to points is 3:1, 69 comments and 23 points as I write this. None of the discussion threads are very deep, but when a discussion has a lot of comments but not a lot of points it tends to get moderated (automatically, not by dang & co.) down faster. This probably relates to the flame war detection, though I've seen that kick in more often when comment threads get very deep and more linear than branching. 2. Flags. When Ask HN submissions get flagged, they move down faster than article submissions. The Parekh discussion has a high score and a high comment count, so (1) is not applicable to it (more comments than points, but more like 4:3 so not over whatever the threshold may be). I have no idea if it was flagged, but if it was since it had active discussion the mods can turn off flags (as it impacts rankings) on a submission by submission basis.

alexathrowawa9 1y ago
Makes sense, I can see #1 being an issue

elpocko 1y ago

The points shown on a post are misleading. There are other, mostly invisible factors influencing the ranking of all posts, not just Ask HN. You can't even trust the timestamps on posts and comments, because mods occasionally decide to falsify them and make you think you're going crazy by inducing feelings of deja-vu.