Thanks for explaining! For future reference: would it have been OK if the post had the same title, but I left the URL box empty and placed the URL in the Text box along with a few sentences for context?
Good question! The answer is no—text posts are actually penalized to prevent that scenario—they're downweighted by default, and don't have live links by default. From the FAQ: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html:
Q: How do I make a link in a text submission?
A: You can't. This is to prevent people from submitting a link with their comments in a privileged position at the top of the page. If you want to submit a link with comments, just submit it, then add a regular comment.
On HN, the idea is that submitters shouldn't have any special right to frame the story for others. They're welcome to express their opinion, of course, but it should be done in a comment, because then it's on a level playing field with everyone else's opinion.
Q: How do I make a link in a text submission?
A: You can't. This is to prevent people from submitting a link with their comments in a privileged position at the top of the page. If you want to submit a link with comments, just submit it, then add a regular comment.
On HN, the idea is that submitters shouldn't have any special right to frame the story for others. They're welcome to express their opinion, of course, but it should be done in a comment, because then it's on a level playing field with everyone else's opinion.