| user: | bezier-curve |
| created: | December 4, 2020 |
| karma: | 251 |
| about: | I used to take HN seriously, but I can't anymore. After years of contributing, it's clear the site is allergic to criticism of itself. Meta commentary about moderation or culture gets recoded as "crankiness" and penalized, no matter how well-founded. This isn't about one downvote. After 5 years I never reached the 501 karma required just to downvote, a basic function. That's a system that rewards conformity while suppressing dissent. When I updated this bio with critique, the moderator asked if I wanted my account closed. When I pressed for an explanation, and pointed out how downvotes coincided with my emails, I got silence. That silence is its own answer. HN isn't an open forum. It's internet feudalism: users generate the content, the lords guard the system, and feedback about that arrangement is unwelcome. That's why I'm done. |