Having seen many articles on this topic show up on HN, and this one in particular recur like a comet every year, I’d like to note a trend I feel like I see in the HN comments every time.

First I see a highly upvoted top-level comment talking about how tragic it is that thoughtcrime is such a capital offense these days, and lamenting that surely the HN thought police will be coming for their head, but they still feel the need to speak their mind about this because it’s true despite the surely inevitable downvoting.

The most upvoted reply concurs with the GP, adding a corollary about how the current social justice climate is particularly nasty because of “X”, and of course this miasma is so thick in the Bay Area that you simply can’t escape it. Then their most upvoted reply is also someone shaking their head about how no one is willing to question the SJW status quo.

Soon, a crystalline structure emerges: layers upon layers of contrarians agreeing with each other, reflecting forlorn looks and awaiting the scythe of politically correct criticism that is surely coming any minute.

Folks, let’s take a breath.

To be sure, there exist people on HN who hold liberal or leftist beliefs, and there exist similar people in the Bay Area. But you know who else lives in the Bay Area? Paul Graham, the guy who wrote TFA! Peter Thiel! A veritable army of libertarian crypto enthusiasts!

I won’t deny that political conflict exists on HN, in the valley or elsewhere. I just wish people would stop acting like no one agrees with them.