This is probably true, though it's impossible to prove without data. My point was that there's an extra incentive for good behavior here that you don't find at

This is probably true, though it's impossible to prove without data. My point was that there's an extra incentive for good behavior here that you don't find at many other online communities. If you kick butt on HN, assemble a team that follows PG's rules and pitch him a great idea for a startup, he might give you $15k and open a lot of doors for you. That setup just doesn't exist on many other community sites, perhaps any, and I think it must be taken into account when we marvel at how great this place is.