[dang]

Not blaming, just explaining what is happening. You're of course free to believe what you wish, but I think you're wrong about "most people". The bulk of the community is satisfied with what we're doing. How do I know that? Because if it weren't the case, we'd never hear the end of it. I've been on the wrong side of the community in the past, I know what that's like, and this isn't it. Being on the wrong side of the community is such a painful experience that striving to avoid that is basically the principle that drives how we operate HN.

As for Sam: this site has hosted countless negativity fests about Sam (as well as other celebrities people love to post about). This story is different, and the way we're handling it would be the same if you replaced his name with anyone else's.

[spockswrench]

No, that's clearly wrong. These posts all have tons of upvotes (without even being allowed to stay on the front page!), the community wants them.

Edit: You can downvote my comments and censor my account all you want. I learned today that to engage with this site one must take an oppositional stance. I'll just make a new account since this one is clearly compromised. I encourage everyone to do the same. Hell make 10 every time you see you're censored.

[dang]

That is a misunderstanding. Community opinion isn't just expressed in upvotes. It's expressed in upvotes and flags. Countless stories make the front page, only to be flagged off it by other users. This happens many times a day.

I didn't downvote you, and indeed no one on HN (including me) can downvote a direct reply to them.

[spockswrench]

This you? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42640271

You're telling me there were 40+ flags on this? GTFO.

I was seriously using this site for fun, but this is just straight bullshit so now you've turned this user into someone who was enthusiastic to someone who knows this place is garbage. Streisand effect on steroids.

[dang]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you're asking here.

[spockswrench]

I'm saying that I liked this site until I noticed that my submission (the only one I've ever made) got 40+ points and never made it to the front-page. Then I noticed that my upvotes don't work. Then I saw you lie about how my post made it to the front-page and started getting flags (it never made it there). So why would I be anything other than hostile?

[dang]

Ah, you're correct that your submission never made the front page (I just checked). Sorry for getting that wrong! I was describing a common pattern and wrongly assumed that this was a case of it.

It doesn't change the important point, though, which is that your submission was downranked because the flags won over the upvotes. It just means that the flags happened while the story was on /newest rather than the frontpage. Actually that is is an even stronger community response.