[etjossem]

Simply by virtue of participating in the same communities as others from our demographic group - in this case, Hacker News readers - we are part of a collective.

We can enforce our guidelines and keep the discussion civil, so everyone involved feels comfortable bringing new ideas to the table. Or we can let HN slip in the direction unmoderated communities usually go; rife with trolling, undue negativity, and direct harassment.

Whether or not to cast that downvote and show the trolls the door [1] is a choice we each have to make, but I for one feel an obligation to help build a civil community.

[1] https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/free_speech.png