[mcronce]

What? All you need to do is resubmit the request without a Referer header. For me, using Firefox, this meant clicking in the address bar, changing nothing, and hitting enter.

That's hardly "no ability to do anything about it".

[yjftsjthsd-h]

I mean people with no ability to alter HN moderation policy.

Consider it like this:

    1. I think, "oh, that looks relevant, let me open that link".
    2. I get a screenful of objections to HN moderation.
    3. I shrug and close the tab.

Since I'm just a normal user who can't change HN moderation, the outcome is that HN doesn't change but I walk away with a worse opinion of the Asahi Linux folks.

[mcronce]

It certainly didn't worsen my opinion of the Asahi Linux folks. On the contrary, I commend them for standing up for what they feel is right.

I also doubt they really care whether or not any particular HN reader has a positive or negative opinion of them.

[lanstin]

Weird: HN is supposed to be technical but the people behind Asahi Linux have proven themselves to be technical wizards; meanwhile HN seems more interested in money and pseudo-libertarian politics than transformitive technical excellence. But such is our age.