

Ask HN: Should ground breaking, 1-4/year type news stories be flagged off-topic? - doki_pen

On really import things, like the Arizona shooting, I love to hear what the HN crowd has to say.  Especially if we have some folks in the area that can give some intelligent insight.  I think it's ok to have a few high profile off topics.
======
rewind
There's no need to even ask the question. The community will flag or not flag.
The story will either live or die. Some "a few times per year" stories will be
interesting enough to generate a discussion, and some won't. It's no different
than any other submission.

~~~
doki_pen
A post that generates discussion can still be flagged.

~~~
alex_c
If the discussion is just noise (as is usually the case when politics is
involved), I have no problem with it being flagged.

------
PilotPirx
Would depend, what people think is really important. I come to HN to read
about computer related things. I can get everyday news from other sites. Same
for the discussions. I wouldn't expect too much special insight from HN people
on this specific topic. Even if people live in the area, what should they
know, that you can't read on CNN? (This may be different for other topics,
yours may just be a bad example)<br /> And I really don't need the kind of
"ban guns" discussion that started at /. right now. So I go with user
"rewind", just let the community decide.

~~~
doki_pen
Of course the community should decide. The question is, how should they
decide?

Are you saying that someone with enough karma to flag articles should or
shouldn't flag popular off-topic articles?

~~~
PilotPirx
This is difficult in every single case.<br /> If the article is popular, the
community made a decision. Flagging it as off-topic should e handled with
care. Maybe he should at least have a look at the ongoing discussion to see,
what people have to say. This may give him an idea, why others voted for it.

------
cperciva
I'd prefer to not see them flagged, simply in the hopes that having the story
at the top of /news would result in it not being submitted 100 more times.

