Yes, the comment about downvoting broke the rules, and yes the comment about Germany would have merited chiding if the author hadn&#x27;t deleted it. But the HN guidelines apply to you, as to all of us, whether the other person breaks the rules or not.<p>Your entire comment upthread was uncivil. If you&#x27;re sincere about abiding by the guidelines (as I hope you are), it would be an instructive exercise to rewrite it in a neutral, respectful way, editing out the nose-tweaking and every trace of snark. Do that on three or four occasions and you&#x27;ll see how much better your contributions get, regardless of what you&#x27;re arguing for. I know that sounds patronizing, but I don&#x27;t mean it that way—it&#x27;s a process that many of us, including me, have gone through, and it helps.