It would be pretty interesting to see this applied to HN. I realize it would be more difficult because there isn't an API and pg is pretty harsh with the rate limiting.
Yea, I thought about this a bit. I've seen HN threads turn nasty when they have several layers of depth. Those kinds of conversations are discouraged too with the delay for response. Either way, you're right- it would be cool to see how those rules (both social and built in) affect the network structure.