> How are stories ranked?

> The basic algorithm divides points by a power of the time since a story was submitted. Comments in comment threads are ranked the same way.

> Other factors affecting rank include user flags, anti-abuse software, software which downweights overheated discussions, and moderator intervention.

[0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html

To everyone in discussion here, please ask yourself: what is your goal? It pays to revisit the guidelines, particularly on hot, divisive topics. Are you trying to understand the others you're talking with? To express your opinion? To convince the "other side"? If you're not here for useful, constructive, civil, and respectful discussion, please just refrain from commenting. As the mods repeatedly point out, HN is not the place for ideological flamewars. There are places elsewhere on the internet for that.

To be fair though, they do happen here all the time and often without any mod intervention. IMO the problem is most opinions on HN seem to just get stated as fact and if they happen to be popular opinions then there's no possibility for them every to be discussed because any contrary opinions just get brigaded into oblivion.

Yup. The mods are limited in number and readily admit that they don't see everything. If you see something particularly egregious, use the Contact link in the footer to email them and let them know.

> IMO the problem is most opinions on HN seem to just get stated as fact

Also very much agree, and often apparently with very little reflection on the part of the submitter that others may reasonably hold other positions (in that you can follow their logic even if you think it's flawed or disagree with it)—and that some things are often just a matter of taste.

> and if they happen to be popular opinions then there's no possibility for them every to be discussed because any contrary opinions just get brigaded into oblivion.

Compound this with the inherent bias everyone has to tend to notice where their opinion is being attacked and not see where it's being supported, everyone has a tendency to think that theirs is a minority or attacked position. It's tough.

None of this negates that goal of reducing the frequency and intensity of ideological flame wars on HN. One of the reasons I pipe up with comments like this is that I think it's the community's responsibility as a whole to encourage this, not just the mods'.