[thrwaway9871]

Funny test: this post has 61 votes, 16 comments, is 21 minutes old and is on front page. It will be "dead" and off the front page in the next hour if usual hn moderation is applied. This usually happens to thread where majority of comments go against the grain.

Edit: thread is a bit over 1 hour old, 125 points, 119 comments and on page 4. All the other threads on page 4 are of comparable vote/comment count but at least 20hrs old. If you scroll through page 4 you will not find a single thread as popular and as fresh as this one there. Maybe i'm biased but id like to think that my prediction was at least half correct.

Edit2: thread is ~1hr30min old, page 8 :)

[striking]

You should email the mods. They're very nice, and will take the time to explain the reason some item fell off the front page.

Sometimes it's because a lot of people (not mods) flagged it; sometimes it's because the flame war detector is tripped and a mod may choose not to reset it. They'll tell you.

[thrwaway9871]

I truly believe they are nice people. The problem is the discussion will be dead long ago before that happens.

Can you confirm this thread is around page four or five at the moment?

[javajosh]

It's almost certainly the right call, in general. My other top-level comment is the only one trying to come up with novel solutions. Most of the other comments are just rehashing the same old stuff.

[aww_dang]

I assume most of us are heavily invested in the Internet as a form of earning. The future of censorship and regulation online seems like a relevant topic, even if I don't publish political material.

A bit disappointing to see this one go by the wayside. It is almost as if Internet freedom is only relevant here when it relates to partisan's favored champion in the arena.

"...and there was no one left to speak for me"

[dang]

Users flagged it, and it set off the flamewar detector. Those are routine HN phenomena.

[cobrabyte]

Yeah, that didn't take long. Polarizing topic, for sure.