> However, are these sort of off the cuff comments the right way to start a discussion about it?
Well it is a persons' opinion. There are some facts, some humor, some personal opinions. I am not sure the author planned on being on the front page of HN. I don't think he submitted his own article. It is up to the readers to put things in the appropriate "bins" so to speak -- "This is good advice", "I don't like this part", "This is just a personal attack" and so on. Sometimes the same article can contain a variety of things.
Well it is a persons' opinion. There are some facts, some humor, some personal opinions. I am not sure the author planned on being on the front page of HN. I don't think he submitted his own article. It is up to the readers to put things in the appropriate "bins" so to speak -- "This is good advice", "I don't like this part", "This is just a personal attack" and so on. Sometimes the same article can contain a variety of things.