Part of the reason Hacker News has maintained its character is the people it attracts. The people it attracts, hackers, are drawn in by the subject matter of h

Part of the reason Hacker News has maintained its character is the people it attracts. The people it attracts, hackers, are drawn in by the subject matter of hacking, which hardly appeals to the lowest common denominator of the internet. I'd like to see the same approach taken with sport or politics. Can an internet community be created that discusses politics or even religion in an intelligent and respectful way? It might be possible, likely way harder than hacker news to pull off.