[BeetleB]

> In HN you can simply not reply when you don't want to argue.

If you're addressing the physical fighting analogy, yes - it is an imperfect one. It is also not the main thrust of my argument.

If you're referring to the wider point, I don't see the relevance. It's not a given that the purpose of commenting on HN is for sharpening writing skills and rhetoric. It no doubt is the purpose of some on HN, but not everyone.

To take the statement to a pointless extreme, you can also choose not to reply to someone who is openly insulting you on HN. That doesn't make it OK to do so.