even though its tone was bordering on rude I think this is likely it. The HN guidelines specifically state: Be civil. Don't say things you wouldn't say in a f

even though its tone was bordering on rude I think this is likely it. The HN guidelines specifically state: Be civil. Don't say things you wouldn't say in a face-to-face conversation. Avoid gratuitous negativity. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html In my experience, members will down-vote if a comment is uncivil, even if the content contains a valid point. The mods have mentioned numerous times (and rightly in my opinion) that civility is even more important when commenting on divisive topics.