I appreciate that the HN community doesn't feel the need to sugar coat something that is obviously bullshit. If you don't want people to critique your work, don't post it on discussion forums.
Yet there is such a thing as a middle ground in criticism. I'm glad HN is not product hunt (a mix of "hey check my alternative product" and "hey that's amazing, best product ever, wow"), but the comments on that thread were harsh cheap shots taken at the author. Only a single commenter was able to provide constructive feedback, which is a shame.
Just because you specifically are okay with receiving harsh criticism doesn't mean that everyone is, or should be.