Title: There's been a big spike in new users the last couple days.
Unfortunately it's been visible not only in the traffic stats
but in the character of the comment threads.<p>New users: we'd appreciate it if you'd please read the site
guidelines before commenting.  Most importantly, the principle
that you shouldn't say anything in a comment that you
wouldn't say to someone's face.<p>http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html<p>Hacker News is an experiment.  We're
trying to see whether by asking people to be civil we can 
avoid the kind of nastiness that anonymity breeds by default.
The experiment has worked so far.  And while the new users
may not realize it, this is why they're here.  People like it here because one can have a civil conversation.<p>The principle that you shouldn't say things you wouldn't
say to someone's face means you can't express yourself the
way you might be used to doing on Reddit or Slashdot.
This, for example, would not stand out on either of those
sites,<p>http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=459250<p>but it's not cool here.
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