My opinion is that anything that doesn't add value to the discussion should be avoided. If you keep that in mind, most of the issues you raised become irreleva

My opinion is that anything that doesn't add value to the discussion should be avoided. If you keep that in mind, most of the issues you raised become irrelevant. The high level of discourse is what attracted me to HN in the first place. Browsing HN is an intellectually stimulating experience. A great side-effect is that it challenges you to provide commentary at a higher level than most other places ("when in Rome, do as the Romans do"). If someone posts a smartass comment, the level of discussion usually drops. If this becomes the norm, then the overall quality would probably drop as well, partly because there'd be less incentive for people to post comments that add value to the discussion. The are more than enough places on the net where you can enjoy the occasional flamewar, post puns, wind people up etc. I don't think HN should be one of them.