What does HN owe the author of an article that gets posted here?

My question was inspired by my own experience today after posting an article about the "strategic lessons of hacking" by Umair Haque (Harvard/Bubblegeneration) and Fred Wilson's post [also of today], "Web Discussions: Leaving the Instigator Out."

We all know that the convo that happens here is discrete from what happens on the actual source. In lieu of the i/o plumbing that Disqus, et al, are forging, isn't there some kind of social contract that commentators should be a party to?

As Fred said, "[The author's] reward is the comments it generates. That's how bloggers get paid."

I think this is especially true if there's serious criticism. I'm not sure how I feel about someone posting a comment that flies here, but would be regarded as a flame in context (as happened on my submission http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=203609 )

(Ironically, I was downmodded after responding flippantly to the in-context flame)

Any thoughts?

(Links: my post http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=203400 // Fred's post http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2008/05/web-discussions.html