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Ask HN: Somebody is manipulating the downvotes

7 points by brilliantcode ↗ HN
I'm seeing my comments being instantly downvoted and the number is exactly the same each time.

What measures exist against high karma accounts downvoting the exact same username out of personal beef? I did mention Peter Thiel is gay (which he admitted publicly and I'm merely stating facts-please see my profile).

I was able to graph the time of the downvotes and map it across time and what I'm seeing is a clear pattern of willful downvote manipulation.

This is pretty disheartening, because I thought HN was an open and accepting place. Everyday, it's becoming more and more like Stackoverflow.

9 comments

[ 3.6 ms ] story [ 19.1 ms ] thread
danso
When did the downvotes start to happen?
brilliantcode
it started a few months ago, at first I thought it was a coincidence but the similar number of downvotes always make it with no explanation for downvotes.

Now it's blatantly obvious somebody is drive by downvote manipulating my comments.

gus_massa
The similar number of downvotes may be explained because many users (i.e. me) don't like to downvote grey comments (unless they are very offensive or extremely wrong).

Moreover, I sometimes upvote grey comments that I don't like because they are too light grey (unless they are offensive or very wrong). I guess I'm not the only one. So this may explain that some comments stabilize in the same tone of grey.

As the other comment said, try asking the mods hn@ycombinator.com

brilliantcode
Yeah except the timing of the downvotes are always the same, which made me think somebody is doing it on purpose.

Having said that, I believe that there is a ring of high karma accounts manipulating and censoring comments. I see regular comments that shouldn't be downvoted censored because it's critical of some startup/company that has HN users involved.

Anyways, my trust for HN is at an all time low.

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(comment deleted)
pyronite
I've never downvoted you, but I've taken note of you as a vitriolic poster, particularly after you had inflammatory comments deleted from a recent Soylent thread.

No downvoting should be automated, but it's possible you're being downvoted due to the content of your posts. gus_massa's hypothesis sounds reasonable.

brilliantcode
I won't disagree that my piece on Soylent was inflammatory but it was because in my humble opinion, it's shitjuice. It could've been put in a better way.

I also won't apologize for criticizing the defense industry and any individual/startup involved/acquired by it.

After all, I turned down money from a VC who I found out sold his company to the defense industry and had multiple off-shore shell accounts that I tracked using https://panamapapers.icij.org/

All that aside, I don't believe it's fair to have ANY and ALL of my comments downvoted because some people disagree with my views.

I have nothing but respect for HN folks. So many smart people, so much talent and potential, I only seek to learn from everyone else who is clearly smarter and successful than me.

I will dial it back but this downvote manipulation is very real and I'm seeing high karma accounts abusing their power very openly with little to no repercussion.

I feel like HN is approaching Stackoverflow levels, where contribution is discouraged unless high karma accounts approve.