Comment by dang
3 years ago
Your account is rate limited. We rate limit accounts when they post too many low-quality comments too quickly and/or get involved in flamewars.
I'm sorry, I know it's annoying, but it's one of the few (crude) software tools we have to try to dampen the decline of the site. We want thoughtful, curious conversation here, and value quality over quantity in all things.
It's on my list to build a more probation-style system that gives people feedback about how long they're in the bad-dog-box for, and tries to explain which guidelines they've been breaking. I recognize that the current system is limited and when you say it makes you angry, I get it. I'd feel angry too.
I guess in our defense I'd plead that it's almost impossible to keep this place from collapsing, we don't really know how to do what we need to do, the pressures are enormous, and we're limited in resources. (That's mostly my fault, by the way—not YC's—but that's another story.)
> That's mostly my fault, by the way—not YC's—
I don't think you have to be afraid of losing your job - excuse me, of being impacted by the current situation - just now so there is probably no need for such disclaimers, or am I wrong?
Oh, that disclaimer wasn't because I'm afraid of, er, "being impacted". I just don't want to make anything sound even slightly like YC's fault which in fact is my own choice or weirdness. (e.g. the way that HN is limited in resources is mostly the latter, but if I say "sorry that HN is annoying, we're just so limited in resources", by default it's going to sound like a complaint about the org and that would be mistaken.) Getting to choose things and be weird is one of my favorite things about this job and about YC, and I want to be super clear about that and not throw anyone under any buses. I know this is a little vague and hard to follow but I hope less than before!
> Your account is rate limited. We rate limit accounts when they post too many low-quality comments too quickly and/or get involved in flamewars.
Thank you very much for taking the time to try to clarify things! :)
I say "try to" because your statement still does not tell me what I precisely did wrong?
I unfortunately cannot guess it as I stand by my opinions, like most people do probably.
> I recognize that the current system is limited and when you say it makes you angry, I get it. I'd feel angry too.
Thank you very much for the empathy! Good to hear! :)
> I guess in our defense I'd plead that it's almost impossible to keep this place from collapsing, we don't really know how to do what we need to do, the pressures are enormous, and we're limited in resources. (That's mostly my fault, by the way—not YC's—but that's another story.)
I hear your struggle and thank you very much for the effort you're putting in! Don't be too hard on yourself.
You kept the place running for many years, so it's not collapsing!
How about these ideas:
1) If you want people to change their behavior, you have to tell them whats wrong. All I have been told up to now is that I cannot post quickly anymore. This changes zero about my opinions and how I intend to behave. Because I have no crystal ball, I cannot blind guess what HN disliked.
This isn't even an issue of the Internet, it's a general concern of regulation: If humans do not understand why a piece of regulation is imposed upon them, they are more likely to not accept it.
And don't forget: Moderators are humans too, it is entirely possible that you misjudge something to be low-quality even though it is not - but you will never get a chance to learn why you were wrong if the person you judged cannot correct you because you don't talk to them but just rate-limit them :)
2) Use the tools you have already. You could have commented my original post(s) which caused you to rate limit me, and there told me why my comments are "low-quality" or "flamewars" in your opinion.
Also, HN does have a system which is meant to rate content in a community effort, so precisely what is needed to ease the moderation burden - the voting system! If people don't like my posts they could just have downvoted them.
No need for manual intervention.
And more democratic.
3) This is a matter of personal taste, not necessary a strict recommendation, but: Tell people to change before you punish them. I know it's the new normal on the Internet to punish people right away - I just think this is rude.