> I don't disagree but would argue that the far more common problem is people - not just mathematicians, mind you - not considering definitions enough which ultimately leads to confusion and/or misunderstandings and consequently additional, unnecessary, cycles spent in discussion about "what do you really mean?"

It's all a difference in context and environment. When talking through the specification of a product your building and prerequirements for it, nitpicking the definitions will save you pain and money.

On the other hand, nitpicking whether someones analogy in covers exact 100% cases of the issue while ignoring the point of the conversation will just make you look like an arsehole in front of the group of people. And the latter is still painfully common on HN as well. As the article says - understanding when some detail is important for the current conversation is an important social skill.