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Ask PG: Why is everybody hellbanned?

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Re: Ask PG: Why is everybody hellbanned?

#11

Post by alan_cx »

jlgaddis wrote: post #7

I submitted a link a few days ago about a possible IE 0-day in the wild and it immediately became "[dead]". It's the first submission I've ever made and I haven't, AFAIK, broken any HN rules since I finally created my account (after years of lurking). On a related note, you will be hellbanned if you create an HN account over Tor (even if you "don't do anything wrong"). Considering the recent NSA revelations, I think…

Hell banning for using Tor seems like a terrible contradiction to me. Especially for HN, in the land of the free.

Re: Ask PG: Why is everybody hellbanned?

#14

Post by anthonyb »

I just took a look at the new page, and it doesn't look any different to normal.

The users of those posts aren't necessarily hellbanned - the posts are though. If enough people flag a new story I think it'll automatically be marked dead.

Usually it's just for spammy crap, or stories that aren't very interesting.

Re: Ask PG: Why is everybody hellbanned?

#15

Post by nwh »

codesuela wrote: post #9
jlgaddis wrote: post #7

I submitted a link a few days ago about a possible IE 0-day in the wild and it immediately became "[dead]". It's the first submission I've ever made and I haven't, AFAIK, broken any HN rules since I finally created my account (after years of lurking). On a related note, you will be hellbanned if you create an HN account over Tor (even if you "don't do anything wrong"). Considering the recent NSA revelations, I think…

It's either that or implementing captchas. And I think pg is not very motivated to do the latter. edit: top of my head reply/speculation so I don't claim any factual accuracy.

Blocking Tor won't stop any spam.

Real spammers have tens of thousands of unique addresses to use; why would they use the 300 or so exit nodes that Tor has available?

Re: Ask PG: Why is everybody hellbanned?

#18

Post by kmfrk »

derefr wrote: post #13
damienkatz wrote: post #8

Posting out of turn? That's a banning. Posting from the wrong browser window? That's a banning. Staring at my post? That's a banning. Post about banning? Oh, better believe that's a banning.

I'd upvote you, but I'm pretty sure that's a banning.

The algorithms have no parameters for mercy.

Re: Ask PG: Why is everybody hellbanned?

#20

Post by kmfrk »

codesuela wrote: post #9
jlgaddis wrote: post #7

I submitted a link a few days ago about a possible IE 0-day in the wild and it immediately became "[dead]". It's the first submission I've ever made and I haven't, AFAIK, broken any HN rules since I finally created my account (after years of lurking). On a related note, you will be hellbanned if you create an HN account over Tor (even if you "don't do anything wrong"). Considering the recent NSA revelations, I think…

It's either that or implementing captchas. And I think pg is not very motivated to do the latter. edit: top of my head reply/speculation so I don't claim any factual accuracy.

pg has one fat flow chart where 95% of cases lead to hell-banning.

He could just give users a kindly-worded error message instead of flipping the switch on them, but DO NOT QUESTION THE FLOW CHART.

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