pc is probably one of the most recognizable and respected folks in tech, the vast majority of people view him in a positive light and generally like the tone in

pc is probably one of the most recognizable and respected folks in tech, the vast majority of people view him in a positive light and generally like the tone in which he comments on HN (forthcoming and open), so it's entirely possible he just gets upvoted up by a lot of readers for any of those reasons (i.e. there's a simpler explanation besides a a full-blown HN / YC conspiracy on his post rankings...)