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I came here only to question why this news even registers on HN news.

karaterobot 4y ago
HN works on a voting system, so that people can register what they feel is important, and if enough people do that then things show up on the front page. There's a bit more information available here: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html
AnimalMuppet 4y ago
Because it interests us.
sophacles 4y ago
Are you asking: "why does the site with 'news' in it's name report news?" Or are you asking: "how does this earthquake in the place where much tech is centered and a large number of HN users live pertain to HN?" The answer turns out to be the same: it's relevant to a lot of people here and they upvoted it.
- alanwreath 4y ago
  These are all obvious answers. Still begs the question of what's the value of having these discussions here. There are plenty of discussions that are not permitted on HN (even if they would garner useful discussion). I only posit that this type of news also lends no value to this forum (SV locals don't or shouldn't depend on HN for local emergency news), and so should be removed/banned. Just my 2¢ - downvote away.
  - temp_praneshp 4y ago
    It enabled this comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33335391 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33335391 which, I would argue, adds a lot of value.
  - s1artibartfast 4y ago
    There is fascinating science and technology associated with earthquakes, as well as interesting stories and history (though fewer of those in this thread)
  - fragmede 4y ago
    the value is connection. you're free to disregard that, but as humans, and not automatons, we sell to connect to out fellow humans in more ways than work. now, you can point out that it's a very SV-centric post, and it is, but there's a ton of other SV news here, so that objection's probably moot. Other regions of the world experience earthquakes and the discussion of the science and technology behind the early warning system that was deployed is interesting beyond the bay area.
  - sophacles 4y ago
    I find it helps to remember that I don't have to click on every link on this site. If something doesn't look particularly appealing to me, I remind myself that there are other folks who read the site too, and while I don't understand why some of the things here are interesting to folks it's still OK that they are here - I am not the sole member of the "target audience". I just skip that link and read something more appealing.
iancmceachern 4y ago
Because many of us live in the area and therefore are deeply impacted by things like this.
- dietr1ch 4y ago
  Deeply impacted is an overstatement. Not a lot happened really, but maybe most people here are not used to earthquakes.
  - iancmceachern 4y ago
    The key part of my comment was "things like this". While this earthquake wasn't anything to write home about, a think like this, an earthquake, could easily be much worse, and therefore deeply impact folks that live here. It hasn't been that long since Loma, and that could be said to have deeply impacted those that lived there then, and still impacts us that do today, no?
throw8383833jj 4y ago
it's interesting to compare and contrast your experience with someone else's. And since this is an experience everyone around here has had, we have it all in common, unlike say if there's a robbery on 1st street which might affect less than .0000001% of users on this site.
tick_tock_tick 4y ago
Cause most of us live here..... Or at-least depend on companies located here.

HN works on a voting system, so that people can register what they feel is important, and if enough people do that then things show up on the front page. There's a bit more information available here: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html

AnimalMuppet 4y ago

Because it interests us.

sophacles 4y ago

Are you asking: "why does the site with 'news' in it's name report news?" Or are you asking: "how does this earthquake in the place where much tech is centered and a large number of HN users live pertain to HN?" The answer turns out to be the same: it's relevant to a lot of people here and they upvoted it.

alanwreath 4y ago
These are all obvious answers. Still begs the question of what's the value of having these discussions here. There are plenty of discussions that are not permitted on HN (even if they would garner useful discussion). I only posit that this type of news also lends no value to this forum (SV locals don't or shouldn't depend on HN for local emergency news), and so should be removed/banned. Just my 2¢ - downvote away.
- temp_praneshp 4y ago
  It enabled this comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33335391 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33335391 which, I would argue, adds a lot of value.
- s1artibartfast 4y ago
  There is fascinating science and technology associated with earthquakes, as well as interesting stories and history (though fewer of those in this thread)
- fragmede 4y ago
  the value is connection. you're free to disregard that, but as humans, and not automatons, we sell to connect to out fellow humans in more ways than work. now, you can point out that it's a very SV-centric post, and it is, but there's a ton of other SV news here, so that objection's probably moot. Other regions of the world experience earthquakes and the discussion of the science and technology behind the early warning system that was deployed is interesting beyond the bay area.
- sophacles 4y ago
  I find it helps to remember that I don't have to click on every link on this site. If something doesn't look particularly appealing to me, I remind myself that there are other folks who read the site too, and while I don't understand why some of the things here are interesting to folks it's still OK that they are here - I am not the sole member of the "target audience". I just skip that link and read something more appealing.

iancmceachern 4y ago

Because many of us live in the area and therefore are deeply impacted by things like this.

dietr1ch 4y ago
Deeply impacted is an overstatement. Not a lot happened really, but maybe most people here are not used to earthquakes.
- iancmceachern 4y ago
  The key part of my comment was "things like this". While this earthquake wasn't anything to write home about, a think like this, an earthquake, could easily be much worse, and therefore deeply impact folks that live here. It hasn't been that long since Loma, and that could be said to have deeply impacted those that lived there then, and still impacts us that do today, no?

throw8383833jj 4y ago

it's interesting to compare and contrast your experience with someone else's. And since this is an experience everyone around here has had, we have it all in common, unlike say if there's a robbery on 1st street which might affect less than .0000001% of users on this site.

tick_tock_tick 4y ago

Cause most of us live here..... Or at-least depend on companies located here.