I have flagging, in the ~1000 karma range, so it still exists. I've hardly ever used it. I'm not sure that flagging is meant for shooting down topic matter yo

I have flagging, in the ~1000 karma range, so it still exists. I've hardly ever used it. I'm not sure that flagging is meant for shooting down topic matter you'd rather not see on HN. And that's why the ability is removed from those who overuse it. Flagging is for blatant spam or personal attacks or other abuses, it's not a content-selection mechanism. Upvotes select content.