Usually, neither type is able to provide meaningful discussion about the topic at hand.
Not being from US, but often traveling there, I have always wondered how mimimum-wage workers are able to afford living even remotely close to Manhattan or SF.
The answer seems to be that they increasingly can't.
Minimum wage workers in these communities are usually immigrants who double up on very family style living accommodations. It’s still better for them in SF than it was in say Manila.
They split the cost with someone. Either with roommates or a wealthy parent who lives somewhere else.
People on HN can afford it because they get paid a lot. It’s pretty simple.
It fits the definition of the word, so it's taken as such. Not sure what's confusing you.
There's a difference between:
"Doesn't matter to me, I can afford it lol, sucks for people who can't."
and
"I pay X for housing and get paid Y in salary and that's why living here makes sense for me."
You nearly cannot discuss housing costs in Florida or Indiana on the internet without someone from SF feeling the urgent need to say "lol that would get me a cardboard box where I live".
Why they feel the need? I don't know.