The more effective mechanism for steering the conversation is to make the top-level comment you'd prefer to see. You might also email mods about off-topic or H

The more effective mechanism for steering the conversation is to make the top-level comment you'd prefer to see. You might also email mods about off-topic or HN-guidelines-violating comments at hn@ycombinator.com. Dang's adopted a practice of sweeping off-topicness into a buried thread which is quite effective.