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HN is not as open as other group sites like, say, reddit where it's up to the users to decide what's important. It's run with a specific purpose of quality of
by JohnTHaller 12y ago
HN is not as open as other group sites like, say, reddit where it's up to the users to decide what's important. It's run with a specific purpose of quality of stories within a specific set of topics and a vehicle for promotion of YC-related content. Voting exists to provide group input within those guidelines.
The bit about writing a blog post and submitting it is out-of-date based on current mod behavior. If you want to provide commentary, post the original source and add a comment. Links to blogs are nearly always pulled for the original source unless the blog is the original source on an overall trend, research, etc.
- hnha 12y agotake a look at /r/undelete some day. Reddit is frighteningly unopen.
- JohnTHaller 12y agoIt varies quite a bit by subreddit, of course. Some mods like to rule their little fiefdoms.
- Pacabel 12y agoThis is very true. Many of the subreddits that are very specific to a given technology or programming language or something like that are often the worst. The audience is comparatively small to begin with, and mostly made up of people who hold the technology in high esteem. Any user who submits comments that may be deemed as slightly negative or questioning of the technology are targeted and "eliminated", so to speak. This leads to a very toxic environment where quality content and discussion become totally non-existent.
- dang 12y ago> a vehicle for promotion of YC-related content That's not true. YC companies get to post job ads. They get no special promotion—that is, the only promotion they get comes from the fact that the YC startup community and the HN community happen to overlap. The site mechanisms don't favor YC cos and the moderators try hard not to. Your point about original sources is exactly right, or at least I hope it is.