The faq says rankings can be affected by automated moderation. I'd appreciate to have this clarified by a mod if one happens to read my words. Thanks

How are stories ranked?

The basic algorithm divides points by a power of the time since a story was submitted. Comments in threads are ranked the same way.

Other factors affecting rank include user flags, anti-abuse software, software which demotes overheated discussions, account or site weighting, and moderator action.