Thank you for your words.

I come from a culture where integrity and values play a role and where you talk things out and don't have to hide your views behind diplomatic formulas or pseudonyms. I also find it interesting how you assessed my vote. English is not my first language. I have tried to make my point clear in every respect to avoid the discussion going in the wrong direction due to any misunderstandings. I kept my tone decent and did not personally attack or insult anyone.

But the reaction of my interlocutor, whom I consider to be sufficiently intelligent and qualified for the matter at hand, made me realize that my efforts were likely in vain. In this respect, I agree with you that in some cases it is best not to respond. But this is HN and here is actually a good culture of discussion, supported by decent moderation, where arguments should not simply be ignored up front.

I agree that a dispute can deter potential collaborators; but on the other hand, if I just leave defamations about me or my work unanswered, this has the same negative effect. In the present case, I continued the argument to such an extent that my position was sufficiently documented, and from then on I no longer responded to the further allegations.

Volunteering open source only works in a culture of mutual appreciation. It could be observed that in recent years appreciation has increasingly given way to an attitude of entitlement (which is a possible cause for nitpicking), especially among younger people. I think it is quite appropriate to make people aware of this fact and its consequences - and it may well take place at the top of an HN discussion.