ASK PG: Look like New User from India are Banned from Posting New Content

[hemantv]

Look like you banned users from India from posting stuff when the account is new. This is very discriminatory in nature, while you allow users from other countries to post without any such restrictions.

I created new account to post some anonymous stuff , but I was shown message "Sorry, your account is too new to submit this site"

I tried searching it on google, look like country specific banning

https://www.quora.com/Hacker-News/What-should-I-do-when-I-get-an-error-Sorry-your-account-is-too-new-to-submit-this-site

-Hemant

[tptacek]

HN is a spam magnet. The tricks successful sites use to avoid spam are complicated. You've probably run up against one of them, and are now telling yourself a dramatic story to explain it. The reality is probably much more boring.

[joshmlewis]

Well you are new here and it is pretty common for new accounts to be restricted to counter accounts being made for spamming. It looks like you have no real proof it's because you're in India but have insisted and speculated that is the reason. I would've gone about it a little differently especially regarding the tone you're using. Even waiting a day or so would've been a good idea and taking your time to post links as well or you will get flagged as a spammer.

[hemantv → joshmlewis]

I think I fairly pointed out the reason. Than I tried to verify it and I found similar evidence in Quora. Yes I think my tone is not right. ( I am not native speaker not an excuse just apology for same ).

I am sorry I was just trying to convey a problem if you find the tone not right for it.

[hemantv]

I understand putting restriction on new user. But I see account 20 minutes old and able to post directly.

-Hemant

[ColinWright]

I'm not associated with HN apart from being a user, but your comment has aroused my curiosity. I've seen no evidence for what you're suggesting, so I was wondering if you could provide some. What have you tried to submit, and why do you think it's specifically users from India being targeted like this?

[danmaz74]

Just out of curiosity, may I ask you how did you find that out (considering that you were able to post)?

[hemantv → danmaz74]

I created new account to post some anonymous stuff , but I was shown message "Sorry, your account is too new to submit this site"

I tried searching it on google, look like country specific banning

https://www.quora.com/Hacker-News/What-should-I-do-when-I-ge...

[ColinWright → hemantv]

Why do you think it's specifically because you're from India? How do you know that message isn't also displayed to other new accounts that try to submit the same link?

Have you believed something random you read on the internet?

I can certainly believe that there are sites, submissions to which are only accepted from a user with an established account. That would account for the observation you quote. I can also believe that some of those sites might be in India, but I suspect they are not only in India, and that being in India is not the problem.

I find it very hard to believe that the site discriminates on the basis of the user's originating country of connection - can you provide evidence that it really is the user's country that's the cause?

[hemantv → ColinWright]

one of the reason is I see accounts 20 minutes old and they get to post immediately and I don't. Maybe I am speculating but we can never know until someone official from YC clarifies this.

[ColinWright → hemantv]

There are sites that are banned - submissions to them are dead on arrival. Most sites are not banned - submissions to them are fine.

I have no trouble believing that there are sites that are in a gray area, and submissions to them are only accepted from users with established accounts.

Why are you leaping to the conclusion that it must be because you are from India? That's what I don't understand. Try creating a new account and submitting a link to a well-known, well-received, high-quality site. Submit a Wikipedia link to something interesting, see if that works.

Have you actually done any experiments? Are you simply assuming it's because you're from India?

[joshmlewis → hemantv]

It's not a question of maybe, you are speculating and making accusations without any real evidence.

[hemantv → hemantv]

@joshmlewis I am changing the title. Thanks for the advice.

[shail]

I am wondering how will you ban folks coming from a country. IP based? As far as I know HN code is open source. So if that is still true, you should be able to see it in the code.

[tptacek → shail]

HN is not open source. An older variant of some of the code used to host the site is public.

[logn → shail]

Some of the spam filters and scoring mechanisms are not open sourced (from what I've heard).

[hemantv → shail]

I think its mostly IP based. yeah I can look around in code.

[logn]

"This is very discriminatory in nature"

I don't think pg would have any problems adding a waiting period to accounts from San Francisco IPs if they overwhelmingly were responsible for spam.

[manidoraisamy]

Looking at the comments here, no one seems to be worried about the problem reported here. Why is everyone hellbent on shooting the messenger?

[Rakshith]

The title is is misleading, you are not certain about it yet. The message they gave you might have been true.

[kohanz → Rakshith]

It even contradicts itself. With the current title, the prefix should be "Accuse PG:".

[pizza]

Some things to take into account:

* Might be IP-based banning?

* Banned domains?

* Banned username-styles?

* Might be in the middle of a new-account surge?