HN Explorer

Ask HN: Flagging Guidelines

3 points by innerop ↗ HN
Are the guidelines for flagging posts published anywhere?

I ask because on many occasions I've tried to respond as politely and adequately as possible and yet some of my replies get flagged without any explanation. It seems rather arbitrary to me without seeing the guidelines.

Here is an example:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20678048

7 comments

[ 7.6 ms ] story [ 41.4 ms ] thread
tlb
See the "Guidelines" link at the footer of every page.
innerop
“Please don't use Hacker News for political or ideological battle. That destroys intellectual curiosity, which is what the site exists for.”

Yet at least half of all comments on HN are ideological and political from how they read and what arguments they invoke. There is no incentive unless you are playing a game to respond to a political or ideological view from a purely curious place and half of the views posted on HN are ideological and/or political.

tlb
The key word is "battle". Political or ideological debate and inquiry are welcome. But if you're repeating the same talking points over and over, that's battle.

You're right that there are no incentives for playing a game here. This site exists to gratify intellectual curiosity. Other discussion boards do give points for repeating popular slogans.

Here, before commenting on well-worn topics like racism, ask yourself, "Is this an idea that most readers won't have considered? Do I have a unique insight that adds something new to the discussion?" If not, move on. Lots of things are discussed here, so you can surely find some where you have a unique perspective.

innerop
I understand that the facade of rationality you've wrapped your argument in is really about controlling the course of debate. No one wants to play dictator unless they're deeply broken and insecure. Good luck.
howard941
Does it seem to you as though the guidelines such as they are (unhelpful comment) tend to be honored more in the breach as the number of emotional comments increases and people's feelings become inflamed? It seems that way to me.

Also you're still showing as a green user with a thin history. Expect little deference until you work that out.

WaitWaitWha
To me, from the perspective of submissions and comments, it appears that the ability to down-vote is relegated to those that the existing community who approves. If one's world-view, sentiment, and such does not agree with the existing team - reflected in their posts/comments, that individual will unlikely to make it into the approved group. One has to be echoing the chamber's sentiments to reach the karma level required. It is a self reinforcing mechanism. But, HN is a private entity that can decide whatever they want to; so there is that. This is not unusual, and have been shown to work out even back in the BBS era.