Hang on, how is it fair to ask me why I "add nothing to the discussion" when all your comment does is ask me why I add nothing to the discussion? Is your comment adding something to the discussion?

I think it makes perfect sense to discuss how we discuss, and even try to steer the conversation to more productive directions. I bet that's part of why we have downvote buttons and flag controls. And I prefer to leave a comment than to downvote without explanation, although it gets hard when the conversation grows as large as this one.

Also, can I please separately bitch about how everyone around here assumes that everyone around here is a "he"? I don't see how you can make that guess from the user's name ("drbig"). And then the other user below seems to assume I'm a "him" also, despite my username (YeGoblynQueenne? I guess I could be a "queen" in the queer sense...). Way to go to turn this place into a monoculture, really.

Not him but I am also extremely frustrated by the fact it is impossible to have a real discussion about this topic, especially on HN. Everyone just talks past each other and I get the feeling that a majority of the disagreement is basically about definitions, but since no one defines terms it is hard to tell.