The following line in the post is the crucial thing. "Amazing how suddenly reasonable and transformed a person can be when they’re forced to look you in the eye"
And I think a version of that is included in the guidelines for HN. The power of Internet conversation is the 'detachment' which can work both ways. It can get the nerdiest of nerds to get to talk to large audiences without inhibition and thus contributing to the society at large. However, it can also get them to show their nastiest sides, which probably would have been hidden but for the detachment provided by the medium.
And I think a version of that is included in the guidelines for HN. The power of Internet conversation is the 'detachment' which can work both ways. It can get the nerdiest of nerds to get to talk to large audiences without inhibition and thus contributing to the society at large. However, it can also get them to show their nastiest sides, which probably would have been hidden but for the detachment provided by the medium.