Are we lonely if we are on HN?

In general, we have a lot of interactions online, but unfortunately those do not have the positive effects physical contacts have.

On HN we are normally not even "online friends" with specific other users. The users are identifiable just as some little grey nickname. Who even is this "GalenErso" guy? Or "cubefox"? What are they up to? We might as well all post anonymously, the outcome would basically be the same.

That's not a natural way to interact, no wonder the brain breaks a little if it does not much else.

Not to mention that HN has specific technological countermeasures to prevent genuine conversations between two users from developing. Specifically, the response rate limiter and the absence of a response awareness or notification system.

Also no DMs (unless you have > X karma?)