Two problems with the site that I can think of: (1) It's somehow 14 years old and this article is #1 on HN, but somehow I've never heard of it. (2) I haven't

Two problems with the site that I can think of: (1) It's somehow 14 years old and this article is #1 on HN, but somehow I've never heard of it. (2) I haven't been able to figure out what the site actually is, or what it does. I looked at the FAQ and the orientation page on the wiki, but I still have no idea what I want to accomplish by going to the site.