After setting "show dead" to "on", I am rarely more enlightened than before. It seems that HN moderators are an order of magnitude better at their jobs than average and recognize value or its absence fairly well.

Comments become dead due to user voting and can also be resurrected if people vouch for them.

I usually read the dead comments and occaisonally do vouch for them if I feel they were constructive and accurate but unpopular.

There is a seperate system of flagging comments which does usually lead to moderator review amd potential account action.

It is extremely rare for me to see a flagged and dead comment that doesn't obviously merit it.

I agree, generally; however, I still find it (sometimes) useful to hear strong outsider views, even if only to see what patterns of thinking are propagating.

The mods here are solid.

I believe comments die due to sufficient flagging/downvoting, and that moderator intervention is not required.

Seconded. The dead posts are always uninformative and/or toxic.