HN is definitely still a great place for discussion. I think the main problem right now is how impossible it is for the average user to get good feedback on the

HN is definitely still a great place for discussion. I think the main problem right now is how impossible it is for the average user to get good feedback on their startup using HN. Many people on this site remember the old days when anyone could post a 'Show HN' and it would almost surely receive some really thoughtful, interesting feedback. When it comes down to it, that is what people are truly lamenting. Today, 'Show HN' posts quickly fall out of the newest page (buried beneath an avalanche of a lot of useless link spam). See my post yesterday, which fell off the newest page in under 10 minutes: http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=opscotch http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=opscotch Or when people do comment on these posts, sometimes it is done so in a passive-aggressive way, more like a 'take down' than a thoughtful comment with advice and constructive criticism. This is not always the case, but it does seem more common than it did in the past.