The only time I use it is by accident. I've just learned that you can un-hide a post by going to your profile and clicking on 'hidden', then selecting un-hide on the post.
Ask HN: Does anybody use the HN hide button?
11–20 of 50 posts
Re: Ask HN: Does anybody use the HN hide button?
#12I wish there was a profile setting to hide the hide button.
I never use it and on mobile hit it on accident at least once or more every few weeks. It is confusing and annoying when a story inexplicably disappears.
This discussion has been informative, I hadn't known some of the use-cases for the feature.
Re: Ask HN: Does anybody use the HN hide button?
#13I regret adding it, because I don't think it pays for the complexity it adds. But I haven't had have the nerve to cut it. If people are clicking it mostly by accident, that could be the excuse I need.
Also I told pg one time that I wanted to get rid of it and he said "oh don't do that!" I think he used it exactly once.
Re: Ask HN: Does anybody use the HN hide button?
#14I use it when I find a thread in a much larger thread veers to a tangent I won’t find much signal in. I find I use it a lot more on mobile too, though it’s a hard button to hit.
I appreciate removing complexity, but it’d make using the site much more noisy for me if dang were to remove it.
Re: Ask HN: Does anybody use the HN hide button?
#15I regret adding it, because I don't think it pays for the complexity it adds. But I haven't had have the nerve to cut it. If people are clicking it mostly by accident, that could be the excuse I need. Also I told pg one time that I wanted to get rid of it and he said "oh don't do that!" I think he used it exactly once.
I use it because on the HN mobile site, it’s fairly easy to fat finger it. I’ve never used it legitimately. So chalk up at least one person who clicks it by accident.
I will note that is almost always why I downvote anything as well - the mobile UX encourages accidental clicks like that.
Re: Ask HN: Does anybody use the HN hide button?
#16I use it when I find a thread in a much larger thread veers to a tangent I won’t find much signal in. I find I use it a lot more on mobile too, though it’s a hard button to hit. I appreciate removing complexity, but it’d make using the site much more noisy for me if dang were to remove it.
> though it’s a hard button to hit.
I have the opposite problem. I hit it accidentally all the time.
Re: Ask HN: Does anybody use the HN hide button?
#17I regret adding it, because I don't think it pays for the complexity it adds. But I haven't had have the nerve to cut it. If people are clicking it mostly by accident, that could be the excuse I need. Also I told pg one time that I wanted to get rid of it and he said "oh don't do that!" I think he used it exactly once.
I use it because on the HN mobile site, it’s fairly easy to fat finger it. I’ve never used it legitimately. So chalk up at least one person who clicks it by accident. I will note that is almost always why I downvote anything as well - the mobile UX encourages accidental clicks like that.
Make that two. I’ve never hit it deliberately, but constantly fat finger it.
I’ve a greasemonkey user script to hide it on desktop, but on mobile safari I’m all out of luck.
Re: Ask HN: Does anybody use the HN hide button?
#18I regret adding it, because I don't think it pays for the complexity it adds. But I haven't had have the nerve to cut it. If people are clicking it mostly by accident, that could be the excuse I need. Also I told pg one time that I wanted to get rid of it and he said "oh don't do that!" I think he used it exactly once.
Then please remove it.
I have hit the hide button twice, and by mistake.
When I tried to use this for cleaning up my feed, same links appeared towards the end as different entried. Happened thrice or so. I don't use it since then.
IMO, you also need to get rid of the flag button on the homepage. I have also fat-fingered it ~3 times. One of them, I was able to unflag it from my browser history.
Flag should only be availavle on the story page, IMO, and not the home page.
Re: Ask HN: Does anybody use the HN hide button?
#19I use it all the time. For me, it's the only way I can signal that I don't think this post belongs on HN. For example, a submission about reintroducing bison on tallgrass prairies.
HN is what we want it to be. We all make it. Personally I want to see stories about technology, software, startups, etc.
Re: Ask HN: Does anybody use the HN hide button?
#20I regret adding it, because I don't think it pays for the complexity it adds. But I haven't had have the nerve to cut it. If people are clicking it mostly by accident, that could be the excuse I need. Also I told pg one time that I wanted to get rid of it and he said "oh don't do that!" I think he used it exactly once.
The hide button is useful for me.
I read the HN front page several times a day, and hide posts that are obvious ragebait, low quality submissions, or things that negatively affect my mood due to personal reasons.
By hiding posts I can make sure that the next page load is a bit better than the default one.