[minimaxir]

> It is common practice to give yourself a few upvotes in the early minutes after a post so we did.

No it's not. And it doesn't even work.

I would have flagged it if I saw that submission in the Top 5 on the front page due to suspected manipulation.

[deckar01]

Well, from past experience, the difference between my posts drifting into oblivion with one point and actually gaining traction is soliciting upvotes through social channels. Not sure about you, but I think most people are more likely to click a post in the new section if it has 2 or 3 points.

A random button would help with post discovery.

[mikehawkins]

Yup - this has really been a humbling learning experience for us... shame as well, because we ended up missing out on the sort of feedback HN community often provides.