from Hacker News

Ask HN: Why are nasty comments more common on HN?

by oznathan on 1/3/14, 8:11 PM with 17 comments

I find that there are more nasty comments here than on other similar websites. I'm not talking about trolling. These comments are thought out criticism combined with pure meanness. Stuff like "This article gave my cancer" or "This is the dumbest article I ever read". Criticism is more common online that in real life, but there is something very decisive, mean and emotional about the comments here.

  • by anigbrowl on 1/3/14, 8:25 PM

    I think HN is better than many other websites, but certainly worse than some. Obvious reasons:

    1. Internet disinhibition effect enhanced by pseudonymity - anyone can create an account called 'internettoughguy3' and start talking shit to people; blatant sockpuppetry/nastiness is punished by the mods, but one can get away with it on an occasional basis.

    2. Common interest in hacking-type stuff brings together people whose views diverge on other things, like religion and especially politics; conflict ensues.

    3. Persistence; sort of the opposite of #1, many of us have been here for years and know how to 'push each others' buttons,' so lingering dislike or disagreement between individuals will occasionally boil over into a cutting remark.

    4. Geeks tend to be introverted and so less good at social modeling. http://xkcd.com/610/ sums this up, though I think the dig at Ayn Rand fans is a bit unfair because such thinking is equally prevalent on the left.

    None of the above apply to me, of course. I am perfect.

  • by minimaxir on 1/3/14, 8:13 PM

    If you think HN has a large proportion of nasty comments, you clearly haven't visited any other website.

  • by bliti on 1/3/14, 9:42 PM

    There are some people who simply look down at others because they are not as "smart" as they are. Experience has taught me that these type of people spend too much time writing comments on the internet rather than improving their skills (they are already "smart", they don't need it). I sometimes wonder why I even comment on HN, because somebody will get offended and do a crusade against me. Even to the point of emailing me saying how stupid I am (true story). In reality, I'm never ever the smartest guy in the room. But I do work hard to learn and do things correctly.

    There is also the belief of the 1%. People seem to think that there are these magical programmers who are better than anybody out there. This makes a lot of those who have drinked the SV kool-aid look down on others. In reality, all programmers are smart. Just in different areas/aspects. There is no 1%. Just a bunch of people trying to write code and innovate.

  • by samsquire on 1/3/14, 8:46 PM

    I think part of it is a lack of social awareness. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6968526

    When people feel justified with their behaviour, they may do or say unnecessary things.

  • by ereckers on 1/3/14, 10:38 PM

    Hacker News has also been called depressing:

    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5744224

    I think it's generally a cool place but negative and nasty comments definitely seem to get traction. Watch for newer accounts that I'm assuming are harvesting karma. They always seem to start out with some negative comment.

  • by deadfall on 1/3/14, 10:18 PM

  • by brianbarker on 1/3/14, 8:50 PM

    Idk that HN has more nasty comments. I'd say it has more negative comments, but not sure they're nasty. Nasty are the comments on YouTube.

  • by MatthiasP on 1/4/14, 10:39 AM

    Comments on HN are probably as good as comments get on the internet. I doubt that there are websites out there with a better community.

  • by jarnix on 1/3/14, 8:50 PM

    Your post is so useless and boring. It gave me cancer, this might be the dumbest article I ever read.

    (obviously it's a joke)