True, Dan Gackle should be rewarded with equity / in kind from so many of the people helped by this platform. The "capture the value you create" really applies here, and the model where that doesn't happen is wrong.
Truly, dang is the "secret sauce" in maintaining the HN ethos. It certainly helps that the commenters do their part to reflect the ecosystem that they want, but it's easy to underestimate the important role that even a little guidance/nudging plays in making that happen.