It is a defense-mechanism for HN. The first 20 people get to read it and alternate between facepalm-level "WTF is he thinking" and incredulous "I can't believe

It is a defense-mechanism for HN. The first 20 people get to read it and alternate between facepalm-level "WTF is he thinking" and incredulous "I can't believe he is that dumb, it must be another one of his (many) trolls." The rest of us get to avoid the frustration of actually reading Dave's drivel and can enjoy the pile-on from a distance.