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My favourite HN stereotype is that every comment chain involves the next poster correcting the last poster over a tiny detail, and then descending into long thr

My favourite HN stereotype is that every comment chain involves the next poster correcting the last poster over a tiny detail, and then descending into long threads arguing minute details of no consequence. I think this forum attracts a non-trivial number of people who have a hyperfocus issue beginning with the letter A.

cmendel 6y ago
In this instance wouldn't 'preceding poster' be more correct than 'last poster'? ;)
- hrishios 6y ago
  Something something argument!
  - coldtea 6y ago
    You failed to provide an explicit argument!
    - yvdriess 6y ago
      Meta-rant about how HN discussions fail to stick to the original topic
ryandrake 6y ago
It's even worse when the thread veers into something political. You can write a 5 paragraph essay about some topic and someone will eventually come out of the woodwork to point out: "On paragraph 4, in this statement, you generalized and said 'all' and I can find a counterexample. Aha! You should have said 'many'! Your entire point is therefore invalid!!" Pedantic nitpicking is just part of this culture.
- phist_mcgee 6y ago
  My favourite fallacy of all is the fallacy fallacy: whereby it is a fallacy of an argument to reject another argument if it contains or is composed of a fallacy. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_fallacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_fallacy) It's why grammar nazis are the most insufferable, because their picking apart of your sentences appears to invalidate your argument, when really they're just being pricks.
vram22 6y ago
Right. I call it the Hacker News Right-Side Effect (or should that be Rule, like the Off Side one ... :): In many HN threads with lots of comments, at some point in the thread (and very often starting at or near the top), the comments successively veer off to the right, sometimes to a ridiculous extent, forcing rightmost comments into a thin vertical column that is a pain to read. And worse, the main topic of the OP is often not discussed much at all, since the majority of comments are about these minute inconsequential details, as you say above - and since these trivia subthreads tend to get upvoted the most.

cmendel 6y ago

In this instance wouldn't 'preceding poster' be more correct than 'last poster'? ;)

hrishios 6y ago
Something something argument!
- coldtea 6y ago
  You failed to provide an explicit argument!
  - yvdriess 6y ago
    Meta-rant about how HN discussions fail to stick to the original topic

ryandrake 6y ago

It's even worse when the thread veers into something political. You can write a 5 paragraph essay about some topic and someone will eventually come out of the woodwork to point out: "On paragraph 4, in this statement, you generalized and said 'all' and I can find a counterexample. Aha! You should have said 'many'! Your entire point is therefore invalid!!" Pedantic nitpicking is just part of this culture.

phist_mcgee 6y ago
My favourite fallacy of all is the fallacy fallacy: whereby it is a fallacy of an argument to reject another argument if it contains or is composed of a fallacy. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_fallacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_fallacy) It's why grammar nazis are the most insufferable, because their picking apart of your sentences appears to invalidate your argument, when really they're just being pricks.

vram22 6y ago

Right. I call it the Hacker News Right-Side Effect (or should that be Rule, like the Off Side one ... :): In many HN threads with lots of comments, at some point in the thread (and very often starting at or near the top), the comments successively veer off to the right, sometimes to a ridiculous extent, forcing rightmost comments into a thin vertical column that is a pain to read. And worse, the main topic of the OP is often not discussed much at all, since the majority of comments are about these minute inconsequential details, as you say above - and since these trivia subthreads tend to get upvoted the most.