How did this get to be the top link on HN in under 20 minutes with 0 comments?

solarkraft · on Sept 8, 2020

Comments are not a ranking factor. Per the FAQ:

> The basic algorithm divides points by a power of the time since a story was submitted.

... So what matters is that this story was upvoted quickly.

saagarjha · on Sept 9, 2020

Comments are actually usually a downranking factor, to try to prevent flamewar posts from staying on the front page.

kbenson · on Sept 8, 2020

Comments usually trail upvotes, and placement is an algorithm of upvotes to age (plus the occasional editorial tweak from admins). My guess is that 5 upvotes in 5 minutes is enough to get a front page placement during certain times, and from there as long as the title seems interesting regular effects of popularity take over.