You are correct. IIRC (and assuming nothing has changed in the months I was on hiatus):
If you have ever looked at an application for YC, it requires every member of the applying team to have a membership here and asks for your HN handles. If any team members do not have handles, they are required to get one in order to complete the application as that cannot be left blank. If you were an active member here for any time prior to submitting your application, your remarks here are, in some sense, part of the application. Participating here is an opportunity to showcase your skills, knowledge and general intelligence and also prove whether or not you pass the YC "don't be an asshole" rule of thumb.
That, no doubt, does quite a lot to help keep the place relatively polite and respectful since, for some people here, being an asshole can cost them a shot at potentially millions of dollars (assuming they get in and their startup is successful). Getting back at some jerk, carrying a grudge, etc just isn't worth so much if in the back of your mind you realize it could close doors to your big break. Even if you do not wish to apply to YC, enough members here are successful, influential business people that, for most members, it just does not make sense to run around pissing people off and burning bridges for shits and giggles.
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You are correct. IIRC (and assuming nothing has changed in the months I was on hiatus):
If you have ever looked at an application for YC, it requires every member of the applying team to have a membership here and asks for your HN handles. If any team members do not have handles, they are required to get one in order to complete the application as that cannot be left blank. If you were an active member here for any time prior to submitting your application, your remarks here are, in some sense, part of the application. Participating here is an opportunity to showcase your skills, knowledge and general intelligence and also prove whether or not you pass the YC "don't be an asshole" rule of thumb.
That, no doubt, does quite a lot to help keep the place relatively polite and respectful since, for some people here, being an asshole can cost them a shot at potentially millions of dollars (assuming they get in and their startup is successful). Getting back at some jerk, carrying a grudge, etc just isn't worth so much if in the back of your mind you realize it could close doors to your big break. Even if you do not wish to apply to YC, enough members here are successful, influential business people that, for most members, it just does not make sense to run around pissing people off and burning bridges for shits and giggles.