alt Hacker NewsAsk HN: Why doesn't HN have a rec algorithm?
I was just wondering about why there's a constant timeline and no recommendation.
Comments
From the FAQ:
How are stories ranked?
The basic algorithm divides points by a power of the time since a story was submitted. Comments in threads are ranked the same way.
Other factors affecting rank include user flags, anti-abuse software, software which demotes overheated discussions, account or site weighting, and moderator action.
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Personally, I appreciate that the rankings are done at a site level, and there isn’t a bunch of tracking and manipulation to give me a personal “feed” to drive engagement. A lot of comments on this site complain about those practices on other sites. I don’t think it’s welcome here.
Because it doesn't serve ads so the point is the content not the engagement.
It’s much better the way it is - one of the last remaining high quality feeds on the Internet!
(PS please feel free to disagree and post other ones I don’t know about below!)