Comment by jdthedisciple

In a way it makes justifiable sense:

Consider that purely positive but otherwise unconstructive comments like "wow great project! clap" are – for good reason – not what the HN comment feature is intended for and are reliably downvoted to oblivion.

Contentious, challenging, or even slightly provocative reactions however – which are inherently somewhat negative in a wider sense – usually kick off fruitful debates and knowledge-proliferation.

And I probably speak for at least about ~65% of fellow HN's when I say that the latter is what I come here for.