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Comment by sethrin | Hacker News Reader

What precisely do you gain by having a narrow focus? What do you lose by having this story on the front page for half a day?

What is essentially wrong with being off-topic?

Honestly, I think this place would be awful if it only had the focus you intend. The advertising nature of posts about this new project or that startup frequently crosses the line between informative and irritating.

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In short, if you don't define and maintain a specific focus then people can and will start posting videos of pratfalls and pictures of kittens. Some focus is needed, and the question is how narrowly to define that.

I would like to see HN stay focused on things of interest to hackers, nerds, and geeks, as opposed to things that are of wider interest. There are plenty of places that cater to other interests, and few that are specific to "us".

    Honestly, I think this place would be awful
    if it only had the focus you intend.

"Intend" is the wrong word, but I hear what you say. That's your opinion, and you are entitled to hold it. If there was no focus here then I'd go elsewhere, and that's also fine. I'd just try to find, or found, another site that does have more of the focus I'd like to see.

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