Downvotes can be a little cruel but they do work well at helping to eliminate noise. It's not an ideal system but it is simple and effective.
(See, there could actually be something wrong/worth of critics with this downvote system but discussions about that are always downvoted.)
edit: This comment will also most likely be seen as unsubstantial as most of the HN user base is not capable of understanding and reacting to satiric comments.
"the HN user base" comprises people from many different walks of life and many different cultural backgrounds, not all of which jive with your idea of "fun".
Add to that our medium is static text, a format which is widely known to cause misunderstanding. Back when I was young in the 90s we had a term for respecting this kind of thing, it was called "netiquette".
Perhaps, rather than demanding that everybody else jump on board your boat, you should just familiarise yourself with the house rules (there aren't many) and simply abide by them!