I joined in 2010. I visit the site, on average, 4-5 times a day.
Things HN has done for me:
* Gotten me a job
* Helped me expand my technical skills
* Helped me promote my books and side projects
* Entertained me
* Kept me up to date on tech and science news
* Allowed me to "give back" when I have useful advice
* Helped me realize I never want to found a startup
Also want to give a shout-out to HN's moderation team, who do a great job of keeping trolls at bay and encouraging constructive conversation.