I don't disagree with you to an extent, but humans are wired for social behaviors and there is a positive social pressure to be had. Of course your examples are

I don't disagree with you to an extent, but humans are wired for social behaviors and there is a positive social pressure to be had. Of course your examples are real and pervasive, but we can't throw out the baby with the bathwater. That being said, this is hacker news which definitely seems more composed than most online forums so I think social pressure here is useful.