[raganwald]

I personally think that asking the question lies in a grey area where it is often a complaint couched as a question, sometimes a genuine question that should nevertheless not be asked, but sometimes appropriate. If a post has a lot of votes and a lively discussion, complaining or asking is counterproductive. Flag it and cross your fingers that the moderators will recognize when something is popular but harmful to Hacker News.

If a post is fairly new with little discussion, perhaps patience is a better strategy. The discussion may emerge and you will be able to see for yourself whether the post is an exception to the apparent rules.

Sometimes a post has a lot of upvotes but very little discussion, and the discussion is fairly thin. In that case, the question can be sincere and helpful. After all, if there is very little discussion it's hard to figure out whether to flag it or not, perhaps there is some hidden value to the post.

I'm saying nothing about this post or this question, mind you, just musing about when such a question might be appropriate and sincere.