I'll check the comments if I'm interested in the topic, but aside from that I tend to avoid HN comments. The comments as a whole seem to be overly negative and contrarian...to the point where often there isn't a whole lot of value to be derived.
And this one really.
I have to say I adore the community here. Even though sometimes comment threads dive into slashdot level examinations of detail and occasional political mess at times, the discussions are typically quite enlightened and remind me a lot of early Internet communities. It's typically harder to find that community online due to the popularism that typically dominates mature online communities.