From my perspective it hasn't. It's mostly if topics land on the front page which are controversial, then the comments will generally reflect that. Also, I hav

From my perspective it hasn't. It's mostly if topics land on the front page which are controversial, then the comments will generally reflect that. Also, I have the impression that another subset of HNers tends to discuss on such topics, while others - who I associate with the more typical HN style - generally refrain from joining such a discussion, amplifying the effect. In short, my take is to avoid controversial topic discussion forums and stick to the rest.