HN Smart

After submitting one item today I found myself looking at my karma, something I couldn't care less until some time ago.

Then I also looked at ALL my submissions and comments and wondered if they would look good if I ever apply to YC.

I found myself worried about this: not being "HN smart".

For example longer posts are HN smart, they consistently get more upvotes than shorter ones. Talking/Linking about YC funded startups seems to be HN smart aswell.

Also, in the latest months I've always seen people complaining about the new userbase, which is not as good as the one of 2007-2008.

Again, I've been lurking since more than a year but I don't post often, and I don't usually post URLs since all the news I read is HN.

Can we say that the new userbase is less HN smart than the old one? Is that the point?

What's the "correct" feeling, if there's one? Mind your business helping others when you can or be HN smart at all costs trying to get others to upvote you when you'll introduce your startup and eventually look good on YC applications?

Genuine question, what was it like in the good ol' days?

Edit: fixed some grammar.