Hacker News Reply System

If you want to reply to a comment, please click the "reply" button below that comment, rather than starting a new comment thread. @ doesn't do anything here.

Please use the "reply" link under each comment to reply. It is otherwise very difficult to follow conversations.

just fyi, if you don't get the "reply" link, you should be able to click the "X minutes ago" and post a reply that way.

For very fresh comments, HN disables the reply link on the comment overview to deter flame wars. You can click on the comment date to see only the single comment and then the reply link will be visible. Or just wait 2 minutes.

when the reply link doesn't show up, you can still click on the timestamp of the comment and reply there.

Please reply to the comment you're replying to by clicking 'reply'. It's not fair to continue the conversation from a perch at the top of the thread. How is the other person supposed to respond, or the reader to follow? Threaded comments solve this problem; please use them.

it's timing based. you can always reply by going to the permalink of the comment you want to reply to.

Some kind of anti-flamewar feature. if there are multiple responses added in a very short time HN will temporarily hide "Reply" link.

Better if you reply to the comment, rather than to the root submission.

You don't need to @ reply on HN. Click reply link under a comment. That way it says organised.