Edit: in particular asking because it's not visibly flagged

Just curious, how’d that submission wind up so far downranked?

I get to repeat my joke since if the earlier explanation wasn't seen, the joke wasn't seen either.

I know it's no fun, but please try to remember that the overwhelming majority of the time, the explanations for these things are really boring and standard. In this case the thread set off the flamewar detector.

Or is it more likely there is a basic filter that blocks conversations against the interests of said party? Forums are transparent, when threads are locked /deleted / moderated it is egregiously obvious and publicly visible. HN operates Gestapo style and then tries to gaslight you that nothing happened.

More to the point, it's completely neutral with respect to the content of an article or the comments.

  Juan was taught from out the best edition,
       Expurgated by learnéd men, who place
  Judiciously, from out the schoolboy's vision,
       The grosser parts; but, fearful to deface
  Too much their modest bard by this omission,
       And pitying sore his mutilated case,
  They only add them all in an appendix,
  Which saves, in fact, the trouble of an index.

I'll turn that off and merge the threads momentarily.