I don't know if this necessarily matters to the HN crowd, but in case it does, this[1] is why him coming out publicly with an apology for his behavior overall is a thing.

Personally, I'd say it's a good first step provided he can actually follow through with it, but I'm not holding my breath.

[1]http://debacle.tumblr.com/post/3041940865/the-pratfall-of-pe...