The post specifically says that one flagged answer prompted me to think about why the answer was flagged, which led me to think about the difference between HN and Quora, which led me to deactivate my account.
I've said plenty of unpopular things here on HN, yet I persevered. And if you really want to see negative responses to things that I have written, you should look at the comments on my old blog. If you want to present a theory that my character can be determined from my response to downvotes or flagged comments, I suggest your theory be amended to explain why I persevere with HN and blogging, but not with Quora.
Got the same vibe from the article: the whiny quitter.It's not constructive and not even interesting (who are you and why does your opinion on Quora even matter?). All-in-all HN is lot more unwelcoming to users than Quora is. Here people downvote because they don't agree, even if it is a thoughtful quality reply.
What struck me the most was your wish to delete all your content. Taking your ball, and going home. That shows how you approach the community: with ego over sharing knowledge.
1. Absolutely my ego is involved, it always is, even when I claim that it isn't.
2. I only answered one question, and as that one answer was flagged, I don't actually think it was still visible on the site to other users. And even if it was, everybody (especially myself) seems to agree that it was not helpful. So what would be the harm if I had the option of deleting my account?
3. Who am I and why does my opinion matter? I can't answer that. I blog. You like it, you don't like it. You upvote or you don't. There are no rules about who is and who isn't fit to opine about anything at all. That's the beauty and the hideous reality of the Internet. I would never suggest that I have any particular qualification for writing words except that I do write. The same goes for software.
4. I have no problem whining about how Quora isn't a community in my blog. And you have no problem whining about my blog post in a public forum. We seem to have a lot in common, maybe we should be friends.
UPDATE: I should make something clear: I have nothing against Quora. I am not predicting its demise. From what I have seen of SO, such sites have a lot of potential and perform a valuable service. All I am saying about Quora is that I realize that I am looking for a social experience, and Quora is looking for answers to questions. That's not a bad thing, just not the same thing.
You answered a question with a question, possibly a wise question, but nevertheless an obtuse reaction to the questioner's want of tactical knowledge. You were downvoted once and decided that one person's lack of appreciation of nuance meant the service as a whole has none, and that it wasn't for you.
I quickly conclude from this that you are quick to conclusions. I've found many topics on Quora which have accreted answers which encompass a range of nuance and even questions in kind. I may have even downvoted some of those answers, but I didn't do so in hopes that anyone would stop using the service.
In re: whether you just don't want to be on Quora or you are predicting its demise, the title of your post does allude to a certain implacable finality...
I did not get that vibe at all, but perhaps that's because I've been following raganwald as a blogger and a poster on HN for years. He's definitely the kind of guy I'd like sit down and have a beer with.
I've said plenty of unpopular things here on HN, yet I persevered. And if you really want to see negative responses to things that I have written, you should look at the comments on my old blog. If you want to present a theory that my character can be determined from my response to downvotes or flagged comments, I suggest your theory be amended to explain why I persevere with HN and blogging, but not with Quora.
And congratulations on being a Quora Power User.