On top of that, which is absolutely true, saying "listen to the person above me" (instead of something along the lines of "guys/to anyone reading this, listen t

On top of that, which is absolutely true, saying "listen to the person above me" (instead of something along the lines of "guys/to anyone reading this, listen to...") while replying directly to someone makes it seem like you're exhorting them--that you're advising them to look for some other reply that runs counter to their point, instead of addressing the general HN crowd. "I thought that'd help me, but..." also seems to counter their point further instead of agreeing with it.