[kenferry]

The issue for me is derailment.

Your complaint - which is unrelated to the content of this article - is now the top comment.

I agree with you, but there are probably a lot of things we agree about, which are also not related to the content of this article.

And regarding whether your complaint is doing the author a favor? You know, it's probably not. You're just going to discourage him from writing, because then he doesn't have to deal with HN's abuse.

[resu_nimda]

Technically it is related to the content and usability of the page as a whole. It falls under the umbrella of feedback on the user's experience with the site.

I think it's myopic to dictate what is and isn't up for discussion, to say "well that's not the point, just ignore it." If the ad is so distracting and off-putting that the user doesn't even get to the content, that is pretty important.

And if that post rises to the top, the message is that a substantial amount of people are having a similar experience.