This is a bit of a tangent, but I've often thought having an official real-time chat would be great to bring the community a little bit closer. There have been

This is a bit of a tangent, but I've often thought having an official real-time chat would be great to bring the community a little bit closer. There have been a few unofficial chats created and proposed, or chat channels on existing IRC servers, but nothing's really had enough traction to stick around for long enough. I'm thinking something like an IRC server that could be joined via a web-based client accessible via a link up the top, authenticating you based on your existing HN login. I imagine it would be accessible via any IRC client though I'm not exactly sure how authentication would work in that case. I suggested this idea to dang and he expressed a similar sentiment to you regarding bring the HN community closer.