[codewright]

It's pretty well known. Don't know that I'd use the term voter ring though.

It's just that if you're in a YC batch or an alum you get posts, especially job posts, boosted.

I wouldn't pay much mind to this talk of mechanisms and gaming systems, sounds like post-hoc reasoning by outsiders.

[tptacek]

There is more than that going on.

[codewright]

Not that I'm surprised, but I have to imagine it would take the form of the quasi-benign backslapping I saw on Reddit.