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Poll: Here at HN, what do you value more highly - the discussion or the links?

7 points by ColinWright ↗ HN
When I first arrived at HN I found that the links were really good, and the discussions were better. As time has gone by I've found that I've changed, the site has changed, and so my perception of the relative values has changed.

I was wondering about others. What do you value more - the discussion? Or the links? And how does that correlate with your time here.

The question of time is a completely arbitrary one, and relies on your own perception. Some have been here for years, but only recently become active, other have only been here a short time, but are active, etc. I know that polls like this are not statistically significant because of self-selection, and this one even more so because of self-characterization, but I'm interested to know what people themselves think, before I consider doing something more serious.

I know this looks like a lot of options, but it boils down to long-standing or not, active or not, and then the question I've asked - discussions or links.

So thanks in advance for your time and efforts in helping me - and potentially others - to better understand the community.

4 comments

[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 19.9 ms ] thread
ColinWright
Having very, very briefly hit the front page, this poll has clearly been flagged by the "anti-meta" brigade, and is now not even in the top 1000. So thanks to any and all who voted, good night, and thanks for all the fish.
jgrahamc
This story (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2986791) was #5 on the list and has now gone. I suspect from aggressive flagging. There ought to be a remedy for this, perhaps the names of flaggers should be made public.
ColinWright
ADDED In EDIT: As I type this at 13:58, your item is 35th. Better than this poll which isn't in the top 1000.

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It seems to me that a (possibly quite small) number of people have decided that if something doesn't suit their own idea of what is suitable for HN then they will flag it. It doesn't take many, there is no repercussion (to them) and it makes HN better (for them). Hence items that might be of interest to the wider community get flagged into oblivion, never to be seen again.

I've experienced this several times now, to the point where I'm actively monitoring when it happens to me. It means I can't rely on items of interest (to me) making it to the front page - I can no longer assume that HN is a sensible way of filtering my reading.

There's very little value for me here now.

And this was, tangentially, part of the reason for the poll.

ytiujhrrujfdth
Yes. (IE, both, varying case-by-case and to a degree that choosing one answer would be misrepresentative)