HN is one of the few places on the internet that there's even the slightest chance at having a substantive discussion that isn't full of short, mocking, casuall

HN is one of the few places on the internet that there's even the slightest chance at having a substantive discussion that isn't full of short, mocking, casually dismissive comments ala Reddit and Twitter. Tone is crucial to HN's quality. Encouraging a sincere and charitable tone is one of HN's founding principles and is the main focus of the posting guidelines. The poster you're replying to is 100% correct.