Your title is too vague and people likely won't bother reading this post. Is "Ask HN: Has anyone ever asked this before?" in case it gets changed.

Also, the answer is probably 'Yes'.

Think the reality is people don't read everything and use titles as a guide to determine what they're interested in reading. The Internet offers endless choices compared to a newspaper.

> Titles were never a good way to consume news.

Titles are a good way to decide if you want to read more. My time is limited and confusing or click-bait titles try to waste it. Changing a click-bait title to something mundane respects my time and attention.

On a scale of sensitivity, I find real name accounts rank above even titles when criticism's perceived.

Titles are great way to start a discussion in HN and many times the discussions are richer than the news