I think HN is one of the better communities I've participated in. A few reasons I can see: 1) It's text- and hyperlink-based. Multimedia forums become meme re

I think HN is one of the better communities I've participated in. A few reasons I can see: 1) It's text- and hyperlink-based. Multimedia forums become meme recycling centers. 2) It centers discussions around submitted links. This avoids endless, pointless discussions about the forum participants themselves. 3) The submitted links focus on technology and business issues, which attract more serious participants. There is no random board. 4) Moderation is professional rather than community based. Voting has an effect but can be overridden.