Ask HN: Is Hacker News Being Astroturfed?

I saw a comment on Reddit that said recently astroturfers have started using a pattern that you can pretty much see everywhere.

> [top comment]

> > [generic question about what to use/buy?]

> > > [link to a paid product that is very loosely related to the original subject]

(Sometimes even the [top comment] is left out if the astroturfers have figured how to make that second comment the top comment)

And I think that comment chain typically becomes part of a sophisticated upvote ring.