This is not stopping me from using HN as such but there are plenty of posts I'd otherwise comment on. But what is the point if they just vanish? If the goal is to only be seeing the approved groupthink, what is the point?

A possible solution is to force people to comment if they want to downvote.

I think I'll resurrect my old reader tool and ditch the HN web site as such. This little experience has reawakened an old gripe.