Well, Brendan Eich. It's more of a literary device. Sorry, I might have misunderstood your question?

I merely wanted to give an example of what happens when there is a shift of the line and some people haven't caught up.

Thanks for clarifying. I was aware it could have different meanings and just wanted to make sure. And thanks for responding to the original question. I think the issue is a lot more complex than can be extrapolated from a single example. Like I said, it's something I've been thinking about, some heuristic or guideline that can be applied to more than just this particular situation. I wish I had a grip on a better answer. Watching people go at each other on Hacker News has been hard.

You sound like a mafia member giving a friendly "warning."