Hacker News is rude?

[merterdir]

I'm not the most experienced HN user but so far people have been quite rude to me around here even though YCs immense efforts to keep a positive vibe.

Of course HN is like fifty times nicer than reddit, etc. but you get the idea. Does anyone share my experience? If so, why do you think that is?

[minimaxir]

Note that OP is posting this in response to someone calling out sockpuppet accounts on their submission: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11483510

Which is against HN rules.

[merterdir]

Ugh.

1) Posted the ApplyHN on facebook, couple friends got accounts to support me thinking it would help. Accounts with no karma algorithmically don't matter, and they're super easy to spot. Wouldn't spend time on it.

2) I was actually thinking about this kind of tone: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11500608

3) Also browsing HN I seem to see a negative atmosphere more and more. This is by far the best forum-style community I came across online. Would like to do my part to help keep it that way. :)

[krapp]

>Posted the ApplyHN on facebook, couple friends got accounts to support me thinking it would help.

On both your Twitter and Facebook accounts you posted: "Comments and upvotes increase our chances of getting selected!" You may not actually have used sockpuppets, but soliciting upvotes to create an artificial buzz around your product is still shady - and it definitely doesn't look good that most of the top-level comments to your Apply HN submission are from those accounts.

Looking through your submissions and replies to your comments, I don't see many comments I would consider "quite rude". I think you're being defensive because someone accused you of acting in bad faith regarding your Apply HN submission, and you posted this thread in an attempt to counter what you feel might be negative PR. You can't control the way people reply to your submissions or comments - the only thing you can do is avoid making a bad situation worse by complaining about it.

[minimaxir]

> On both your Twitter and Facebook accounts you posted: "Comments and upvotes increase our chances of getting selected!

When Apply HN was first announced, I was concerned that people would be more likely to engage in voting rings because there is now financial incentive. I didn't expect to be correct.

[gus_massa]

I also expected something like this, but I'm gladly surprised that it is very uncommon. In most of the submissions the comments look legit.

[GFK_of_xmaspast]

I'm not seeing anything particularly exciting about (2)?

[mtmail]

Also the comment came from a new user (registered the day before). I wouldn't take that as evidence for rudeness of the wider HN community.

[J_Darnley]

Ha. This is the most forced-civilized place. I get told off every time I am even a little rude.

[Rainymood]

>forced-civilized place

Which is really good imo as the quality of discussion is so much higher than on Reddit. For indulging in silly memes and empty content I just browse Reddit (the larger subs), for actually thoughtful discussion I browse smaller subs or HN.

[AnimalMuppet]

If your idea has holes, HN will tell you, quite bluntly. Don't confuse that with rudeness.

Unfortunately, there also are people who are rude. They are in the minority, but they seem to be more numerous than they were a year ago...

[merterdir]

I love people pointing out holes in my idea. I think that's what makes HN great.

Sadly, nearly all of my submissions received senseless negative comments that is not feedback on the idea, more like unrelated personal comment.

Maybe there could be a way to filter out the noise.

[seeing]

I wish the HN software gave me a feature of choosing how to filter out noise.

[TaylorGood]

Being amongst high-functioning geniuses naturally warrants sternness in response to counterthoughts.