I think many people find it hard to take the warnings seriously because a) the truth about CX and HKG in general can be pretty hard to believe, and b) some guys are pretty hyperbolic about their warnings to the point of ridiculousness. For example, in the thread about how much it costs to live here the "average" expat's budget included ~$80K in expenses. The "average" expat hire in 1998 can probably relate to that but in 2018 the average expat hire is single and not going to spend anywhere close to that much. I sure as hell didn't and no I didn't live on cup noodles in a 100 sq ft shanty in the NT.
For the record, I'm trying to get out of here as fast as I can and happily taking a massive pay cut to do so. There are definitely pros to working here, but they don't outweigh the negatives by a long shot. I wouldn't recommend anyone come here, except for locals.