[redbell]

> but those companies need to make money, so those connections are only allowed to exist as long as they are part of a profitable system

We all hope Hacker News remains the exception, otherwise, it might mark the end of “the internet as we love it”

[moskie]

I don't think it's a good idea to assume / hope that HN remains that way. Money is still an aspect of the existence of HN. It exists because pg has enough money to run it, and its existence aligns with his current desires. This community could just as easily dissappear in a way equivalent to what we're seeing with Twitter and Reddit, if pg wanted. And it could not be easily replaced, because its existence is dependent on pg's money...