Previous discussions: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1781013 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1781013 http://amix.dk/blog/post/19574 http://amix.dk/bl

Previous discussions: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1781013 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1781013 http://amix.dk/blog/post/19574 http://amix.dk/blog/post/19574 The simplified algorithm is Score = (P-1) / (T+2)^G where, P = points of an item (and -1 is to negate submitters vote) T = time since submission (in hours) G = Gravity, defaults to 1.8 in news.arc The updated algorithm posted by pg has other factors, but those are related to quality control. If the same algorithm is still deployed, stories decline with time. So, during quiet periods, the new stories with far lesser number of votes rank higher than old stories with high number of votes.