Well, HN isn't "the internet", it has its own traditions. I didn't down vote you, but, if I vehemently disagree with you, I'll certainly do so, regardless of

Well, HN isn't "the internet", it has its own traditions. I didn't down vote you, but, if I vehemently disagree with you, I'll certainly do so, regardless of how thoughtful and considerate your comment is. Likewise, if I see something in the grey that I agree with, I'll go out of my way to upvote it back to at least neutral. In general, the vast majority of comments on HN fall within the bounds of good taste, so consider ones aggregate karma as a reflection of what the community here assesses the validity of your contribution as.