My comment might have been different if you had said "a software engineer requires a baseline of understanding of software engineering", but that is not what yo

My comment might have been different if you had said "a software engineer requires a baseline of understanding of software engineering", but that is not what you said. What you said is "It is because you're unlikely a software engineer and just a learn programming or went through a really bad university.". Saying he is unlikely a software engineer seems to imply OP is not being truthful, or is outright lying. I'll take you at your word that it was not your intention to be offensive. If I were communicating in a language that is not my native tongue, I would hope that someone would point out to me that I might be being misunderstood, too. As far as the wording of the rules, you would have to complain to HN about that if you take issue with it.