How to build a social entertainment website

Did PG fake start Hacker News?

rms tells me that nickb was widely suspected to be a PG sockpuppet.

Ah, this explains why Tara Ploughman has been referred to as nickb's wife.

I don't know, but that's how reddit got started.

I'm guessing he just linked from one of his essays and it took off from there.

Didn't it start as a tool/gathering place/whatever for YC founders?

Not quite.