zlacker

I don't think this is so, as demonstrated by people usually quoting the guidelines themselves, almost biblically, when chastising someone else on HN. I don't often see people quoting Dang's comments.

I prefer to think instead that HN has crystallised down the lofty goals of civilised dialogue into a handful of wonderfully tangible rules - but unfortunately, rules that can only be followed by somewhat thoughtful people.

This works on HN because HN content (stuff that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity) naturally drives away non-thoughtful people.

For example:

> Please don't fulminate. Please don't sneer, including at the rest of the community.

At this risk of sounding elitist, if you don't know what fulminating means, or you actively seek out conflict online where you can sneer at others, then you are not the kind of person who will be able to follow the guidelines, and you will quickly be downvoted, which on HN carries a very visible stigma as your comments literally fade into obscurity.

Instead, you will be quickjly driven back to the safe echo chambers of Facebook or wherever, where you can find like minded-people who will sneer alongside you.