Not sure how a single data point helps nor even what the 'question behind the question' is but hth.
[Edit to add that I have 'Show Dead' enabled when logged in]
After reading HN for years I only created an account recently, shamelessly because I wanted to submit things related to work I am doing.
But the fire-hose of submissions means that links to articles, results and papers I'd like to share just get swept downstream in minutes. It actually makes one feel a bit paranoid, that there's a "conspiracy of suppression" against challenging ideas going on here. I don't seriously think that, rather that there's just too much competition for attention, and too little real attention being given.
Where does that leave us? It's discouraging for researchers and authors who would like feedback from a more general audience to submit here. There is a temptation to be an asshole and repeatedly submit materials until they gain traction, but that just feels cheap and anti-social. Meanwhile the same old popular stories that are circulating on other tech/hacker sites seem to get recirculated ad-nauseum. This lowers the quality and perception of a community of ideas that HN has enjoyed.
Something needs doing to rate limit and filter the input here. But I don't know what. Probably what is good for researchers like me is bad for some other group of interests. However you cut it there's a kinda tragedy of the commons going on where low attention is creating too much velocity and shallowness.
Often for good reason, but sometimes I feel like it's just 'discussion non grata' and an otherwise interesting article never sees the light of day.
It's also fun predicting which stories will end up hitting the front page.
What bugs me is that many quality articles just don't get the first few votes that will put them in front of a larger audience and put them on the path to the top.
Resolution to check the New page more often.
[edit - will now be the first thing I see]
And yes, I also have ShowDead turned on.