How so ? I can't recall any major free speech issues on HN. Being downvoted and having your comment hidden is not exactly something HN can do much about, seeing that it is up to the users.

There is also moderation by administrators of course, otherwise HackerNews would be a spammy free for all like the most visible parts of Reddit.

HN is heavily moderated and posts that cross lines are quickly removed. It is not even secret and HN does not pretend it is not so.

The reddit rules are much more loose. The subs that were banned on reddit would not even had achange to start here.

The quality remains relatively high on HN though. I'm pretty sure it's the only website I've used consistently (ie almost every day) for ten years.

I know some political posts (and definitely trash/advertising) get cut and not everything (as defined by "free speech") gets through, but on a personal level for me (and I'm sure many others) I think the moderation works.

I like HN. I am not saying it is heavily moderated to make them stop moderating it.

But the fact is, it is what it is precisely because a lot effort goes into moderating it. Acting like HN it's some kind of free speech place is absurd.

Claiming that HN is good and then going into outrage because another site applied significantly looser restrictions is dishonest. For that matter, trying to pretend the Donald or incels subs were merely normal subs merely discussing conservative policies is outright lie.

For one there are no subs here.

>"is not exactly something HN can do much about"

They actually can do "much" about it. Just turn the feature off. Downvoting in my opinion is very unhealthy habit.

I upvoted you now and I suddenly feel healthier than ever!

Cheers ;)

Very little actually gets removed from HN.

While that may be true the HN moderation team does a great job of being balanced and removing all politically charged content and flamebait irrespective of the political views of the poster. They don't have an axe to grind.

It's a very different situation to Reddit where left-leaning political extremism (/r/LateStageCapitalism) is tolerated, but subreddits like t_D are banned.