The question here isn't what you can talk about. Two discussions on this are currently open; you're welcome to keep them going. It's whether the story and/or discussions are substantive enough to belong on HN's front page. I'm not seeing the substance here. The story is an announcement of an announcement, and the top comment on the main thread just now is https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7848774, which is the opposite of what HN calls for. This makes sense, given that there's no actual substance to discuss.
That's my call on that story, anyway. Of course, we don't get every call right. Moderation is guesswork, and we rely on the community to point out our mistakes.
Your point about HN moderation seeming heavy-handed is really a side effect of greater transparency. Because what we do has gotten more visible, it seems like it's new. But it isn't new—it's the way things have always worked. Hacker News from day one has been a blend of community upvotes and active curation. Sadly, one consequence of greater transparency is that some people feel like we've suddenly become heavy-handed and manipulative. It isn't true, but I understand why it might seem that way.
