Isn't it bad form to SPAM this place with duplicate submissions?

Original Post: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3955265

We didnt post the second one. Someone else did because the first one got banned.

I didn't say you did anything. I was talking to this OP... who posted a dupe. This is frowned upon is it not? Also, I don't see anything in the first one to indicate it is banned. It appears to be there and not "dead". It is on page 4 (#110) right now. "Not on Page 1" != "Banned"

No, it didn't get banned. Check your facts - it's still there, currently in position 110 (as I write)

lol, sure. it goes from #1 to #110 in 1min?

It's ok. Don't worry, be happy!

It is current known behavior. If an item gets five or six flags it will plummet. I've done experiments, I know this to be a fact. It doesn't require any intervention by moderators or anything else.

The severity of the hit on ranking was introduced some time ago - I can probably track it down if you like - but I doubt you'd take my word for it.

And if you'd care to check my posting history you'll find that I've spoken out against this several times, but you're clearly not interested in facts or evidence, you're clearly just annoyed that your posting has fallen off the front page.

And yes, this comment is snarky, and no, I'm not going to edit it to be milder. I'm annoyed at your tone when all I'm trying to do is share with you with the knowledge I have accrued over many experiments on the topic.

I don't really see why the distinction matters. Somebody pushed a button and it got shoved multiple pages back, votes [mostly] discarded from consideration. Whether it's 'community' or moderators seems minor.

I think maybe the only distinction that mattered was that being flagged to the point of getting pushed 4 pages in is not the same as being banned.

For all practical reasons it is the same, almost no one goes to the 4 page; most people just check the front page and maybe the "new" page.

heh... I kind of just assumed everyone consumed HN through a feed reader. I almost never go to the home page.

It could have just as easily been one flag. A sufficiently weighty user can wipe a fledgling submission right off the front page with one click. You probably already know that though.

Is there any way to see the number of flags a link has accumulated?

Not that I know of - it requires tracking rankings and making deductions. I know of no way to see the flag count.

Surprised I didn't see a twitter link on their site, in case anyone else was looking: http://twitter.com/ncombinator

Usability feedback: I completely missed the fact that there was a Details block until you mentioned it. Why? I don't know. Maybe I was assuming that their info was in one floating block as with LaunchRock.com.

right. I have a bunch of usability feedback I could give if I thought it would matter. Some of it may be personal preference but... ack... that loooooong single page with no navigation is... well... special.

This seems interesting, I left my email. Gotta say, though, really turned off by the ninja stuff (and 300 picture). No, I don't wage covert warfare in feudal Japan. I do, however, enjoy shipping great code as fast as possible.

When I saw the name (NCombinator) and the Ninjas, I was all but convinced that this was a tongue and cheek, well designed humor page.

Alas...

We figured we'd err on the side of humor. Rather that than take ourselves too seriously.

Startups are damn hard. A support network needs to be fun, not a drag.

I can certainly understand and empathize with your intentions, but as some of the reactions in this thread have shown, the intended sarcasm is instead being taken at face value by some, and perhaps alienating those people.

Then again, the people who are overly sensitive/annoyed about the whole brogramming/ninja craze may be unlikely to join ncombinator anyways, so perhaps there is no real downside anyways.

I loved the page, don't listen to these fools :P

Is the page well designed? Exceedingly so. I was quite impressed myself.

Are the ninja references distracting, if not outright disenfranchising for a good fraction of Ncombinator's audience? I am asserting that unfortunately, this is the case.

Agreed, I have a hard time taking this seriously.

Heh, as a developer with business credentials as well, I find it somewhat ridiculous that it takes such a hostile tone towards business people towards the end. You do realize that 1) many businesses are needed for which designers/developers are a small part of the product and 2) sales and marketing are usually vital for growing businesses?

I was somewhat interested until I read that and got the impression that this seems like a glorified meetup group for web dev enthusiasts. I already know how to code. I am more interested in connecting with people who compliment me.

Good feedback. I'll tone down the rhetoric. I'm absolutely not opposed to business guys. Just teams entirely composed of business guys "looking for a technical cofounder".

Right now it is a glorified meetup and support network. But it's also a "pact". Join and ship every week. Formalizing that and bringing together people who can uphold it is something I greatly desire and that's why I want NCombinator to exist and be successful.

We're very open to suggestions on how to make it better though. Had to start somewhere.

I like the "hostility" towards business guys in an early stage startup where delivering a product is key.

If they can't build it, they have nothing to do there, not early on anyway. A single developer who can design > business guy.

Keep it up!

"2) sales and marketing are usually vital for growing businesses?" sounds more like hostility against developers, as in marketing is some obscure dark magic?

Good idea, but I see one big problem: market of lemons, i.e. the really good teams will concentrate on getting into YC or Techstars and only the mediocre teams and ideas will participate in NCombinator. But since there are plenty of good teams & ideas that get rejected by YC, there should be plenty of fish left. I like the direction in which NCombinator is heading, a big part of the value that YC adds is in the support network and mentors. We need something like this in Berlin too!

Watch as it gets back to how many points it had awhile ago.

Curious though how this would violate any terms of service.

Seems a bit trademark infringy.

But... they start with totally different letters :)

Just kidding. The name is going to change, but the idea will remain intact.

What happend to the old post?

It's still there: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3955265

As I write this it's at position 101. I suspect that it got flagged a bunch of times by ordinary HNers who don't like the semi-appropriation of the name. It doesn't need any censorship or action from moderators - 8 to 10 flags will hammer an item way off the front page.

We got booted. Apparently YC is not amused with our idea.

It wasn't killed. Though, it probably got flagged a bunch.

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3955265

That sucks. I can't see why YC would get all up in arms over this. Not like you guys are really competing with them or belittling them or anything. This strikes me as a great thing for people who don't get into YC or who can't participate in YC for one reason or another...

I'd say they're pretty great competition

The teams who finish will probably have an mvp, maybe a pivot or two, hopefully some user traction. That might be enough to get to VC's in this climate. Or even just bootstrap and own the company 100%

It's also far more likely that the good teams will get sniffed out by angels at this early stage rather than giving pg a bite at the apple

Having said that you're right, I think pg will want to be close to these kind of things rather than futilely trying to kill them

I don't have any connection to YC (other than this site) but I don't agree. I think it is belittling to say "that other place that takes equity."

Or one could use it as a dress rehearsal.

I'd imagine its because of the similar name. YC is a brand after all.

No, it's a mathematical operator.

What I really like about the Y-combinator name is that it is actually a really neat metaphor for venture backed / mentored start-ups. The two legs of the 'Y' symbolizing the partnership and the return value (the bottom part of the Y) the result.

Very clever, it is too neat to be a co-incidence.

I'm well aware of its CS meaning. This is a great idea and I support it, but they're clearly dining at the expense of the YC name.

I like the idea of hyper lightweight goals and structure.

Are you a cargo cult?

I think they should take on as one of their goals not to avoid being a cargo cult, but to simply be self aware if they are one. Just for the paradox.

I think it's not nice to refer to Y-Combinator as "that other thing" and then advertising here.

probably a good place to build a twitter presence #forwhatitsworth

Censorship is probably due to the NCombinator name.

Nice idea, applied for it. I am 2 weeks away from launching so excited to see this version. I think it is really a good idea because it does provide a venue for startups to help each other. The other day I attended a Tie roundtable at CMU and the feedback and advise experienced people were giving was really good.

Hmm.. Censorship. Nice.

Jumping to conclusions. Nice.