FYI, we're looking to rework the referrals just a bit. Most of the referral system is inherited from upstream stacker news, but I'm not sure I like the idea of "accidental referrals" like the ones you experienced. We are exploring making referrals intentional and explicit only.

But don't worry, you wouldn't lose your referrals. Previous referrals would be grandfathered-in if we decide to change the rules.