[goodpoint]

> exhibiting your own knowledge, you’re looking for validation, or want to demonstrate your own superior morals.

Speak for yourself please. On most forums nobody is going to praise another for their knowledge. Additionally most people are anonymous.

[e1g]

All popular internet discussion places are built on likes, upvotes, and other superfluous praise signals.

[k__]

Yes, if the internet of today is about anything, it's about people getting praise for something.

[bumby]

There seems to be quite a bit of behavioral and evolutionary psychology that claims all actions are initiated by emotions. So the emotional payoff is the real driver, even when people pretend to be above the non-virtuous fray (which is itself a status signaling mechanism with an emotionally validating payoff)

[sneak]

Most, sure. But I have learned more from astoundingly good HN comments over the last dozen years than any other site on the internet.

I love that our local celebrities, as such, are such not for battle but for their euclididation.