It still has value according to the two-step HN algorithm of fact-finding. step 1. Someone posts something (anything will do) on a blog step 2. HN tears it ap

It still has value according to the two-step HN algorithm of fact-finding. step 1. Someone posts something (anything will do) on a blog step 2. HN tears it apart and reconstitutes it with some decent approximation of truth and usually a fair bit of insight. Basically, the source content is just the jumping off point. The blogs serve as a focal point for directing the HN hive's attention for a while. You could post a story titled "Sarah Palin is more influential than the Pope but less influential than the iPhone" and fill it with lolcat pictures and still get an interesting discussion here. Why? Because smart people are awesome.