Not everyone registered is posting on every topic. Not everyone having an opinion is posting in the topic they read.
Making unsubstantiated claims is easier than laying down concrete arguments.
You quickly run out of pearls to throw before the swine.
“Venting” is more socially acceptable than “preaching”.
And there is a matter of customs and culture: people see that badmouthing happens more often than singing praises, and so the cycle continues. HN is evidently the place where you don’t often see positive discussions of the merits on the front page, so that’s exactly what you see, and even if you have something to say you’d rather keep your mouth shut. But you see slandering comments in every topic so if you want to leave another then by all means, feel right at home.
All of this does not even take into account whether there are any technical merits worthy of continued discussion and fervent defense, or everything on this particular topic has been said already and perceived as general knowledge among the literate.
Making unsubstantiated claims is easier than laying down concrete arguments.
You quickly run out of pearls to throw before the swine.
“Venting” is more socially acceptable than “preaching”.
And there is a matter of customs and culture: people see that badmouthing happens more often than singing praises, and so the cycle continues. HN is evidently the place where you don’t often see positive discussions of the merits on the front page, so that’s exactly what you see, and even if you have something to say you’d rather keep your mouth shut. But you see slandering comments in every topic so if you want to leave another then by all means, feel right at home.
All of this does not even take into account whether there are any technical merits worthy of continued discussion and fervent defense, or everything on this particular topic has been said already and perceived as general knowledge among the literate.