Sounds like a lot. I use Hacker News like this:

- Obsessively monitor the frontpage for interesting stories (yes, currently I have too much free time)

- Open up the URL of the story and read through/try to use the article/page/application/whatever

- Read the comments, comment where I think I can add something

- Rinse and repeat for every story that seems interesting

Information that is important will automatically stick in my head, either because I felt "enlightened" when first coming across it, or by repeated exposure to the same idea in different but multiple articles/comments. The other cruft gets automatically filtered in my head. I take zero notes on anything I come across HN, generally.

I see HN as mostly entertainment with some useful stuff scattered across some comments thread. But mostly it's just entertainment as any other social media.