I consider HN respectful of my personal data by not asking for it, and respectful of the community by not allowing commenters to alter historical conversations,

I consider HN respectful of my personal data by not asking for it, and respectful of the community by not allowing commenters to alter historical conversations, beyond a short pragmatic time window. There's a line that needs to be drawn, and no matter where you draw it, you will find some people on one side and some on the other. HN gives you more choice and freedom than Facebook (or G+), by allowing pseudonymity -- you just can't change your mind later. Some people get a lot of professional and personal mileage by having their real name (or well-known pseudo) attached to HN content. Others actively avoid that. And a lot of people do both -- some simple analysis on HN comments can demonstrate multifurcation of single legal identities.