[spooneybarger]

I think web intelligentsia and putting designers in quotes is way beyond anything in the submission itself, but on these things everyone's mileage will probably vary. That aside, I find your argument to rather odd. I would extrapolate from that general idea of responding in kind that if someone is rude to you on someplace like HN, that it would be reasonable to expect rudeness in return, perhaps even that is justified.

[crenshaw]

I found neither the original article nor any comment here rude. Some are blunter than others, but I didn't find anything that I felt like anyone should be offended by. He didn't call anyone an idiot, he just said they're wrong. I think calling people wrong is reasonable in the space of web discussion/debate.