> (unless you have gone back and deleted the comments, haven't checked yet!)

Minor point: I'm pretty sure that HN comments cannot be deleted/edited after about an hour. Very different from most web forums in this regard, and worth keeping in mind when digging into past discussions! Maybe the rules are different for a superuser like tptacek here with lots of karma, but I doubt it.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Nobody can go back and delete comments the way that person is claiming. What a weird thing for him to have said.