From what I would guess, you didn't see a flamewar because off-topic comments have been heavily downvoted and downmodded, pre-empting that situation. I do agree dang's lengthy responses here are unusual -- maybe Saturdays allow for more time to deliberate. But the mod action here seems consistent to what's applied on a regular basis on HN. The difference is that we're getting an explanation for actions we likely take for granted on an average day.