[jamesbritt]

Same seems true of comments. I think I see Tichy's point; if you ask question, you are often ignored, or mocked.

If, however, you make a (willfully) ignorant assertion, people jump at the chance to tell you just how wrong you are.

Not that I want to advocate this approach, but I understand why someone would use it if, in the end, it generates more useful information.

(I think this was discussed elsewhere on HN, with "troll, don't inquire" as a disappointingly effective means of getting information.)

[Tichy]

I wasn't trying to troll, I merely answered in the same tone as the submission title. Let's not blow this out of proportion.

[jamesbritt]

I didn't mean to suggest you were trolling, just that some folks have found that adopting certain troll-like characteristics is (for better or worse) an effective means of getting informative replies.