Almost no one I know takes anything anybody says here seriously, even if the content stream is marginally better than the alternatives.
The focus has shifted from intelligent and thoughtful writing seeded by your essays, to business-oriented boosterism fed by a provincial navel-gazing audience who fail to censure themselves.
I'm someone who's already had a failed business, and even when my finances were falling apart, I loved the thrill of it.
I love hacker culture and ambitious people. I plan to begin work on another idea soon.
However, the situation here is untenable and the utility I once extracted from being exposed to this community is being destroyed for the sake of a minority's craven ambition and desire to fit in with the shibboleths of those around them. I am not by any means alone. Everyone I know who follows the kind of news and interests that is discussed here has been increasingly disenchanted over the past year with hackernews.
This is not a site or community unto itself, it serves a real purpose for YC and everyone is aware of this. You might call it a garden.
The garden needs pruning.