I agree that comment uses anecdotal data. However, I don't think that it is attempting to refute the findings of the original post. Anecdotal data isn't inher

I agree that comment uses anecdotal data. However, I don't think that it is attempting to refute the findings of the original post. Anecdotal data isn't inherently bad; it just shouldn't be used in attempt to prove or disprove anything, which I don't think that comment does. Using anecdotal data to suggest the possibility of alternative or more-nuanced hypotheses in an informal discussion thread is a totally appropriate use of it. Furthermore, this is only one example. Drawing conclusions about a trend from a single example is ironically what the original commenter said is not "smart."