[pchivers]

I downvoted this comment, thinking it was just a silly remark, but now I realize that it's a reference to the Brandon Vedas death:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Vedas

[run4yourlives]

Which doesn't make it any less disrespectful.

[swombat]

So what? Disrespect is at the heart of much great humour.

[run4yourlives]

Feel free to crack jokes at the next funeral you attend then. I'm sure the other attendees will be highly amused.

More to the heart of much great humour is timing.

[swombat]

Is HackerNews a funeral now?

Or are you suggesting that this thread is that hapless teenager's virtual burial place?

[run4yourlives]

I'm suggesting that joking about a person's death needs to be considered against the nature of that death and the current environment.

It's very likely that the family of that kid will happen upon this forum and that post in the next little while, and I think as a community it would be nice if they weren't met with the same idiotic comments that they'll find on the bodybuilding site.

It's the same thing as making jokes about 9/11 victims on 9/12, but there's no hard and fast rule. Such is the case with pretty much every social nicety.