See my comment below. On HN for example it isn’t necessarily the moderators, it’s the users with downvote power who can influence what everyone else sees.

So the elite users are the ones who choose. Funny how our communities mirror the social structures we supposedly hate.

The site owners chose to implement it that way. That's their right. If you don't like it you can go elsewhere.

sure but to other users that's a feature and part of why they're here

it's like going to a cafe and complaining that everyone is drinking coffee

“Elite users”? I don’t think that avoiding being an assclown long enough to collect 500 points to downvote status is a high bar to clear.

And? Go somewhere else. I get elite-downvoted semi-regularly but that’s all in the game. You knew the rules when you came here.