I support Hacker News moderating itself however it chooses. However, if we are looking at it as a moderation model for large, open, non-editorial platforms (Youtube, Facebook) -- which I believe should all be covered under public accommodation law -- it clearly fails. And even if when we are looking at ostensibly neutral, publicly-orientated sites like newspaper comment boards, it fails.
Hacker News moderation is not appealable, not auditable, does not have bright line rules, and there are no due process rights. It simply does not respect individual rights.
So while this moderation method succeeds for Hacker News, and perhaps should become the model for small private sites, we should not try to scale it internet-size companies. Platform companies (Google, Facebook, Twitter) and backbone companies (ISPs, Cloudflare!) need a different set of rules geared towards protecting individual rights and freedoms instead of protecting a community.
I say this as a person who feels that his political opinions have been treated with disrespect by the site’s community and its moderators. I fervently believe that the moderators are doing their best to be impartial. And I also see people on the opposite side of the political spectrum from me who have the exact same complaints. When I look at it that way, I realize I literally can’t ask for more from the mods.
As far as your making the distinction with platform companies and back bone companies, I think you have it completely right. I detest racist shit on the Internet, but ultimately no good can come from driving it underground. I think it’s much better for us to be able to see and come in time. Plus, my political affiliation, which is the same as Abraham Lincoln‘s, is considered by many of the powers that be to be inherently racist.
When the platform companies start trying to decide who’s wrong and who’s right, they are forced to use extra-constitutional means. Not good.