Hacker News Delta Guidelines
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What to Submit
Submit content that intellectually engages a technically curious audience. Good submissions often include original research, thoughtful essays, technical deep dives, and firsthand experience reports.
Content does not need to be about startups or programming exclusively, but it should reward careful reading and independent thinking.
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What Not to Submit
Avoid sensational news, celebrity coverage, sports, or crime stories unless they illustrate a genuinely novel technical, social, or economic phenomenon.
Pure entertainment, outrage-driven content, and low-effort listicles are generally off-topic.
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How to Submit
Submissions should link directly to the original source. Use descriptive, neutral titles rather than clickbait or editorialized headlines.
If you are submitting your own work, disclose your affiliation clearly in the comments.
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Duplicate Content
Before submitting, check whether the item has already been posted. Duplicate submissions dilute discussion and are often deprioritized.
If a new submission adds significant context or a materially different angle, explain that in the comments.
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Comment Guidelines
Comments should aim to advance understanding. Ask clarifying questions, provide evidence, and share relevant experience.
Avoid personal attacks, dismissive remarks, and low-signal reactions. Critique ideas, not people.
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Replying to Comments
Respond to the strongest version of an argument, not the weakest. Thoughtful disagreement is encouraged when it is substantive and civil.
If a discussion becomes unproductive, disengaging is often preferable to escalating.
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Asking Questions
Good questions are specific, show prior effort, and invite informed answers. Broad or vague prompts tend to produce shallow discussion.
Context matters—explain why the question is interesting or difficult.
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Show-and-Tell Posts
Projects, tools, and experiments are welcome when they include technical detail and lessons learned, not just promotion.
Be prepared to answer questions and discuss tradeoffs honestly.
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Voting Philosophy
Vote based on whether a submission contributes to thoughtful discussion, not whether you agree with its conclusions.
Downvotes are most useful for off-topic or low-quality content, not mere disagreement.
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Moderation
Moderation favors long-term community quality over short-term engagement. Decisions may prioritize signal-to-noise ratio and discussion depth.
When in doubt, err on the side of curiosity, generosity, and restraint.