Comment by mrguyorama

>I wonder what makes a platform like HN work, but not the others.

Does HN work? We are not allowed to discuss all kinds of things. There are vague and unpublished rules about how things are ranked and how the front page is managed.

Did you know that HN accounts owned by people who have been selected by YC are "special" and can see each other highlighted orange?

How many flags does it take to kill a discussion?