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I think it's a great idea that solves an actual problem and it would probably help smooth out voting rings that slip past the detector. However, that would pro
by Udo 13y ago
I think it's a great idea that solves an actual problem and it would probably help smooth out voting rings that slip past the detector.
However, that would probably mean HN couldn't optimize or cache the front page. On the other hand, this is a feature for logged-in users only, so it might be feasible.
- albertzeyer 13y agoYou could have two versions of the site, one with random noise, one without. Or maybe even specify the noise.
- Udo 13y agoThat's what I meant when I said it was for logged-in users only.
- dangoldin 13y agoIt could also be done via client side JS. Load the first 2 pages of results with the true scores and then use JS to add the randomness factor. This way the page can be cached.
- 1200bps 13y agoAs far as I can see, HN already has randomized algorithms. I just had to create a new account because my six-month old 3,000+ karma account just got slowbanned and silentbanned for apparently no reason. Out of nowhere, anywhere from 6 to 14 seconds to load the front page (or any other HN page) when logged into that account.
- Udo 13y agoWhat does silentbanned mean? I'm not sure what the offense is for which people get slowbanned on HN, but I also don't understand how that counts as a randomized algorithm. As an aside, it amazes me that people who notice being hellbanned (which is really the ultimate way of HN telling you not to post here anymore) make 2nd or 3rd accounts and just continue. I'd want to find out why I was being banned and then, if I didn't agree with the reason, I'd just leave.
- 1200bps 13y agoI was not hellbanned - where everything I posted was instantly dead. To be honest the only thing I'm sure of is that I was slowbanned. I timed page loads 10 times with the slowbanned account and they averaged about 11 seconds. Then page loads with not being logged in averaged about 1 second. Then page loads with a new account averaged about 1 second as well. The junky thing is that the account was almost 7 months old and had 3,324 positive karma but I guess I said something that ticked someone off: https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=300bps https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=300bps
- Udo 13y agoThere isn't anything in that account's immediate history that looks like grounds for bannination, on the contrary. Are you sure it's a slowban, not some technical problem? I'd try to email the admins to find out more.
- 300bps 13y agoI'm pretty confident it's a slowban. Logging in with this account again, I go from instant page loads to 12 second page loads - only on HN of course. After re-reading the terms of use of the site, I emailed pg on 11/22 stating that I believed I was slowbanned and that I didn't believe I had violated any terms of use. I hadn't spammed ever (I have nothing to sell), I don't participate in flame wars. I didn't get a response so I emailed him again on 11/27 just saying it's clear I was slowbanned and that it would be nice to know why but that I guess that's not going to happen. I figure there are a few possibilities: 1. I said one thing one time that rubbed someone the wrong way 2. An admin thought it would be funny to give someone who uses the username 300bps a slowban thereby effectively causing their web experience to be equivalent to a 300 bps modem Who knows? Seems random to me to be honest.
- jds375 13y agoI would still be interested in maybe a weeklong trial run and see how I felt it went.