I think age is relevant insofar as it's indicative of experience. I think there is value, both for the OP and commenters, in knowing the age of a particularly y

I think age is relevant insofar as it's indicative of experience. I think there is value, both for the OP and commenters, in knowing the age of a particularly young poster because you can reference your experiences in learning to build things and encourage them in their pursuits. It's also incredibly encouraging to see young people building at an early age. You imply that they were gaming the system to by using their age to get on the first page, rather than their merit. I'd say that something perhaps mediocre built by someone who is young merits recognition more than something mediocre built by an older, perhaps more experienced developer (we've all seen the "Weekend project" posts, but we say "hey cool, you did that in a weekend?!"). As you say, "I think anybody who wants to learn, share, and grow should be commended and encouraged, and I’m glad HN agrees with me." Isn't knowing how young someone is or how experienced they are relevant to assisting in ones learning and growth? If you've been a Rubyist for 15 years, another's advice to you on something you've built is going to be much different than if you've only been at it for 15 months. Let's not shit on a 14 year old kid (yes, everyone knows what post you were talking about). There's no "manipulation" in mentioning your age when you're seeking feedback and growth. It's very helpful to know where someone is in their development when offering feedback and encouragement, and I think if HN is to be the sort of place where folks come to "learn, share, and grow," we should allow people to share their age or how long they've been at it. You did bring up a good point though, that this may not have made it to the front page if it wasn't for his age. Perhaps HN readers should be more generous in helping folks get feedback on their work by upvoting "Show HN" posts. If what they've built is really complete shit, then we should help them learn why that's so by upvoting and commenting on what they've built. It seems more constructive than passive aggressive blog posts tearing people down.