Censorship? Hardly. A downvote is just the easiest way for them to signal their displeasure. The cultural attitude you see prevalent here defending creators is

Censorship? Hardly. A downvote is just the easiest way for them to signal their displeasure. The cultural attitude you see prevalent here defending creators is due to the community's wont to make this a safe place for sharing, especially given the recent efforts at making "Show HN" a first-class citizen. Constructive criticism is a good thing, but I don't think that's missing from HN. What dwaltrip (and Hytosys below) are suggesting is that your criticism is not in the least bit constructive, and takes a tone that would otherwise negate any constructive bits. I concur. If you're curious to see how a comment might actually be constructive in the course of being critical, I'd seriously consider erikschoster's comment.