If you don't think it's flamebait, you haven't seen the flamewars that such comments lead to. It's our job to be the fire department here. If someone tosses off a lit match at a gas station, that's either arson or criminal negligence, and the fires burn the same either way.
There are good reasons why the site guidelines say "Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisive." and "Eschew flamebait." It's not as if we sat down and dreamt them up one day. They come from many years of experience and directly address how internet forums function, and commenters here need to follow them.
There are good reasons why the site guidelines say "Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisive." and "Eschew flamebait." It's not as if we sat down and dreamt them up one day. They come from many years of experience and directly address how internet forums function, and commenters here need to follow them.
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html