News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on How Hacker News ranking really works: scoring, controversy, and penalties. Parent comment

Re:How Hacker News ranking really works: scoring, controvers... by snowwrestler on Tuesday November 26, 2013 @09:38PM (#6805920)
I tend to flag any article that is about analyzing, optimizing, or gaming Hacker News.

It's just a website for people to talk to each other and share links. Trying to out-think the algorithms is, to me, a smell for cynical PR or at best misplaced priorities.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:How Hacker News ranking really works: scoring, controvers... by kbenson on Tuesday November 26, 2013 @11:39PM (#6806440)
I've often wondered about the possibility of gaming HN through it's participants. For example, pre-emptively down-voting yourself from a second account early on in a busy article, possibly with a reply using that second account noting you don't know why anyone would feel the need to down-vote that...
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:How Hacker News ranking really works: scoring, controvers... by marshray on Tuesday November 26, 2013 @10:42PM (#6806185)
Yeah whatever you do, don't let us read anything about anyone out-thinking our algorithms.

The algorithms will save us. Over optimization is the root of all evil. Smart people are dangerous.

[ Parent | on HN ]