Possibly, yes. I have noticed a de-grumpifying effect over the past year or so. Early Hacker News had a strong pedantic voice that bordered on parody, almost painfully so when discussing inoffensive topics.

Maybe it’s been Dang’s gradual moderation work or a natural shift in the community, but people here seem to have relaxed…a bit.

I think they did a change to the guidelines a few years back that might've contributed to it.