Log out and you'll be surprised how speedy the site is. Log in...12 seconds to return 6KB of data, at least in my case.

Have I been capriciously slowbanned to encourage me to lose interest and get lost, or is the process of counting up the user karma a cause of significant slowdowns? Are certain accounts more costly than others?

The "fun" of Hacker News is that you never can tell...

It is interesting that the top post in this story is someone lauding the moderation of someone whose moderation they, presumably, have no ability to view. While the assignment of hellbans and slowbans may be completely just and deserved, it might also have a profoundly corrupting influence, steering conversation exactly where it serves certain purposes best.

Have I mentioned how fantastic the current crop of YC companies are‽