Point happily taken, and I didn't mean that you were an asshole but rather that the comment was a case of being an asshole or at least easily read that way.

This happens a lot on HN and we know it's unintentional, just as we know that the people who upvote such comments aren't doing so maliciously. Unfortunately, positive parts can add up to a negative whole, and good intentions aren't enough. It's a systemic problem, not a personal one.