Some people value being able to mask their account to voice their true opinion.
It doesn't mean he's creating an account to troll necessarily, but to conceal his more reputable account from things we all know if possible; abuse. Something your parent doesn't seem to respect.
"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire
I've been struggling and failing for a minute here for a way sum this up. It's likely impossible as it's far from a simple topic.
Anyway, I tend to disagree. Reputation can do plenty to make a place worse - squashing dissenting opinions, incentivizing "gaming" of the system. I do my best to ignore these systems entirely.
HN is a better place if people value their accounts and their reputation. This is a Good Thing.
Only if it makes them valuable members of the community. If patio11(just as an example no offense) logged out of patio11 and logged in as a string of throw away accounts, then him valuing his account hurts the community. It incorrectly values the patio11 persona. It improves engagement of someone who is actively trolling. It actively encourages others to engage in such behavior.
