[robryan]

Hardly, HN only covers world events with real global significance. I enjoy reading HN users takes on this kind of news as I find it interesting to discuss this kind of news but comments on mainstream news sites are terrible and I don't really have the time to invest in other sites with quality comments who cover this stuff in far higher volume.

[hartror]

Agreed, the tone and community here provide interesting discussion and insights on the really big turning points such as these. Comparably on reddit there is a lot of chaff to work through to get to the interesting kernels.

[zalew]

please show me those "interesting discussion and insights" http://i.imgur.com/GaBJJ.png

[xnxn]

Since you asked, http://i.imgur.com/NpexT.png

I've highlighted the sort of discussion I'd like to see more of in blue, and the ones that I'd like to see fewer of in red. The unhighlighted comments provide no value to me but I don't mind their existence. Under this scheme, my own comment would be red, because it's meta and off-topic.

[diamondhead]

Would you like to have a hacker community having smart conversations about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, too?

[TeMPOraL]

Why not, if there is something smart to discuss about them, something gratifying our intellectual curiosity[1]. I vaguely remember even pg referring to Lady Gaga as hacker in clothes space in (I think) Hackers&Painters (anyone have the reference? I can't seem to find it :/).

[1] - http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html