That's exactly the type of flippant remark that would pass through inoffensively as banter in other forums, but which gets downvoted to invisible quick smart on

That's exactly the type of flippant remark that would pass through inoffensively as banter in other forums, but which gets downvoted to invisible quick smart on HN. I suppose that's because other places exist as diversions or aimless time out, whereas HN seems to be a place to practice technical and commercial advocacy, or to explore intellectual leanings pointedly. Perhaps humour mostly gets in the way of that, or requires an extra cognitive hat that's easier to leave in the closet. And/or perhaps humour works best amongst a known homogenous crowd, whereas HN is a pluralist, fragmented collection of knowledgeable individuals from different fields... ?