Sounds like a system very slow to change, nearly self-perpetuating, like more of an echo chamber, like stew without garlic or pepper, like ignoring that a strea

Sounds like a system very slow to change, nearly self-perpetuating, like more of an echo chamber, like stew without garlic or pepper, like ignoring that a stream bed is cold and uncomfortable, full of mud and gravel, but also one of the best places to look for gold. Fundamentally the high karma people pleased the masses at HN and/or have been commenting at HN for a long time and maybe have made the better comments but still are in the middle of the road. So, content that is new and takes some effort and reflection, is challenging to the status quo, is radical and provocative will have less of a chance to be seen at all. With some irony, the Silicon Valley world of startups is heavily about being disruptive, not self-perpetuating.