It's no secret that content moderators moderate content. Most of the stuff on HN is shaped by a few people who gets to decide what's interesting enough to get a boost or not.
It definitely feels like gaslighting when you notice it happening. For example a few times I know I made a comment on an old article the day before but it didn't get traction. But then it would be on the frontpage again the next day with all the timestamps manipulated to seem fresher, including on my own comments! I know I was sleeping at that time so then I start questioning my sanity and whether I was sleepwalking or not!
Most of HN isn't shaped by moderators boosting stories. But some of it is. The intention is just to make the site more interesting to the community. We don't always get that right, because sometimes the stories we think people will like just get flagged, and in that case we usually accede to the flaggers and unboost the thing. But most of the time it seems to work out.
Can you clarify, because while you've said gaslighting HN users is, "an egregious violation of the guidelines and a bannable offense on HN" [1], you're also saying the _questioning_ of gaslighting is allowed? Given the nature of gaslighting, those things seem one in the same, do they not?
ratww already pointed this out, but the issue from our point of view was implying that the other commenter was not posting in good faith (how much is $baddie paying you). The concept of gaslighting didn't really enter into it.
I really appreciate your supplying a specific link. It's amazing how rare that is! and makes it so much easier to respond accurately.
