On another note, I think the lack of a down vote button on submissions might explain this behavior. If a topic is highly polarized/controversial, it might end up on the front page with a lot of up votes even if most HNers would have down voted it. This results in a lot of people venting off in the comments who would have otherwise simply down voted.
I thought the top comment by tptacek was perfectly reasonable and constructive, and didn't find it offensive at all. On the other hand I found the original article to be naive and remarkably arrogant, despite its saccharin use of language.
Be curious to hear pg's thinking on the absence of downvotes for stories. This particular story was of such low quality, that I wonder if people were really upvoting the discussion as opposed to the original story.
Having argued with tptacek about wiki policies a while ago here, I'm inclined to agree. I've contributed my share of venom to what I've perceived as silly/stupid submissions though as well so I don't believe I've got much of a highground.
On another note, I think the lack of a down vote button on submissions might explain this behavior. If a topic is highly polarized/controversial, it might end up on the front page with a lot of up votes even if most HNers would have down voted it. This results in a lot of people venting off in the comments who would have otherwise simply down voted.