I think the more specialized and geeky the topic, the fewer people who can participate in the conversation about it, and therefore the less popular it will be.

I think the more specialized and geeky the topic, the fewer people who can participate in the conversation about it, and therefore the less popular it will be. Most of the popular stuff seems to be light on the technical side. More often it is business, lifestyle or a high level opinion on a technical subject, not too deep. If it is an online hacked-up app, there has to be a wow factor, a surprise, a 'why didn't I think of that'.