Only if you calculate based upon the root. Most clients don't display root counts. There's also no differentiation, based upon depth or entropy. 

A thread like 

GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM
-- GM

will usually be ranked higher than one like

Longish, interesting text containing information
-- Response with question
-- -- Answer to question
-- -- Another question
-- -- -- Answer, from someone else
-- Useful feedback to the OP
-- Interesting tidbit
-- -- New conversation participant, totally excited about tidbit
-- -- Person new participant tagged, to come look at tidbit

I mean, maybe it _should_ be ranked higher. Maybe we're all just here to say GM to Jack. But I'm saying that I don't know if algo developers are considering this effect. There's a reason why trending feeds are so mind-numbingly dull, and this is the reason.