Hacker News Isn’t a Meritocracy. It’s an Aristocracy.
Hacker News claims to be a meritocracy, but its automated flagging system creates a silent aristocracy. High-karma users can vouch for dead comments, while everyone else is left in the dark. This isn’t quality control—it’s an unelected power structure that decides whose voice gets heard. The algorithm doesn’t hate you; it just doesn’t know you.