Doubt is fine, but there aren't many alternatives in this space. Relative to the competition I feel it deserves this praise.
Unless it breaks its only advantage.
And it does not. The title is misleading.
HN is very susceptible to pseudo-nerd hype (Encrypted apps that are actually honeypots, decentralized networks that really are not etc), since a lot of people are not very deeply technical (but consider themselves geeks) they fall for this type of marketing.
Name one decentralized anything that HN praises.
bittorrent
Ill concede to that, but you have to admit, HN does not favor the things in this area.