Two major articles were shared on HN today regarding the Google memo: "Google CEO should resign" and "Why I was fired from Google." Both were flagged and hidden within an hour. I understand this is a deeply divisive topic, but it's clearly relevant to a large majority of readers on HN. Are we comfortable being a "close my plug my ears" echo chamber community? Or should we be brave enough to have lengthy discussions about hard issues that give others a chance to hear both sides of an argument. I like the approach we took when the original article was submitted - the thread was locked to new users.
Ask HN: Why are “Google memo” links being flagged and hidden?
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Re: Ask HN: Why are “Google memo” links being flagged and hidden?
#2Is Hacker News deeply rooted in Silicon Valley, and isn't it well known that Silicon Valley do not share conservative views? I think the answer can be derived herein.
Re: Ask HN: Why are “Google memo” links being flagged and hidden?
#3Because it's just the same shit over and over again
Re: Ask HN: Why are “Google memo” links being flagged and hidden?
#4Thanks for asking this. Here's another one that was posted and then disappeared without a trace:
https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/comments/6t1cpx/if_w...
Re: Ask HN: Why are “Google memo” links being flagged and hidden?
#5I see the "Sundar Pichai Should Resign as Google’s C.E.O" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14990494 from 5 hours ago with comments from 2 hours ago, so flagged within an hour doesn't match. 400+ comments.
"Why I Was Fired by Google (wsj.com)" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14993683 isn't flagged. Or maybe it was and now no longer is.
Personally I get tired of yet more opinion pieces on the same topic. After reading through 5 long threads I feel like I've seen every opinion and counter opinion.
Re: Ask HN: Why are “Google memo” links being flagged and hidden?
#6I see the "Sundar Pichai Should Resign as Google’s C.E.O" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14990494 from 5 hours ago with comments from 2 hours ago, so flagged within an hour doesn't match. 400+ comments. "Why I Was Fired by Google (wsj.com)" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14993683 isn't flagged. Or maybe it was and now no longer is. Personally I get tired of yet more opinion pieces on the same topic. After…
Sorry I meant "flagged and hidden". Just because it's flagged doesn't mean that people can't stop commenting on it. It just doesn't show up on the front page anymore.
Re: Ask HN: Why are “Google memo” links being flagged and hidden?
#7Is Hacker News deeply rooted in Silicon Valley, and isn't it well known that Silicon Valley do not share conservative views? I think the answer can be derived herein.
>and isn't it well known that Silicon Valley do not share conservative views
If Silicon Valley didn't share conservative views, there wouldn't be so many articles and comments defending said memos, and the views expressed therein. Certainly, what's "well known" about HN and SV seems to depend on what set of cultural or political strawmen one wants to punch down. I've seen both described as wretched hives of leftist cultural marxism and alt-right fascism.
>I think the answer can be derived herein.
Yes, but not for the reasons your comment implies. People who are strongly ideologically driven are more likely to engage with these threads - they're likely being flagged by people who are tired of seeing the deluge of content which they feel is off topic, or no longer delivering anything of insight or quality.
Re: Ask HN: Why are “Google memo” links being flagged and hidden?
#8Thanks for asking this. Here's another one that was posted and then disappeared without a trace: https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/comments/6t1cpx/if_w...
Hackernews doesn't allow you to "downvote" submissions, but users with higher "karma" can flag posts, effectively giving the most active (or popular) users censoring powering.
Re: Ask HN: Why are “Google memo” links being flagged and hidden?
#9I see the "Sundar Pichai Should Resign as Google’s C.E.O" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14990494 from 5 hours ago with comments from 2 hours ago, so flagged within an hour doesn't match. 400+ comments. "Why I Was Fired by Google (wsj.com)" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14993683 isn't flagged. Or maybe it was and now no longer is. Personally I get tired of yet more opinion pieces on the same topic. After…
Sorry I meant "flagged and hidden". Just because it's flagged doesn't mean that people can't stop commenting on it. It just doesn't show up on the front page anymore.
Weird indeed. That makes it the only flagged story in the top 100 https://news.ycombinator.com/best list. A lot, like hundreds, of users must have flagged it. (I don't know how ranking works, I just assume that there must be a ratio of upvotes vs flagging and the more upvotes the harder it is to flag).
Re: Ask HN: Why are “Google memo” links being flagged and hidden?
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sorry I meant "flagged and hidden". Just because it's flagged doesn't mean that people can't stop commenting on it. It just doesn't show up on the front page anymore.
Weird indeed. That makes it the only flagged story in the top 100 https://news.ycombinator.com/best list. A lot, like hundreds, of users must have flagged it. (I don't know how ranking works, I just assume that there must be a ratio of upvotes vs flagging and the more upvotes the harder it is to flag).
Yeah, and I think it also has to do with weight of the user (more points = higher weight). That's why I'm asking this question because we give an outsized weight to higher karma users who effectively have censor power (which is a good thing when used against spam). But I'm worried we're curating our own "echo chamber" here.