[steamboiler]

I'll probably get down voted for this but I'll say it nonetheless.

Roger Ebert and now Margaret Thatcher. I respect them both but IMHO HN is hardly the place to mourn them. Just my 2c.

(FWIW I can't flag this article; I would have if I could)

[Heliosmaster]

I agree.. from the guidelines:

> If they'd cover it on TV news, it's probably off-topic.

[philwelch]

Why isn't this the top comment?

[ErrantX]

I've recently changed my view on this. HN hasn't been "just about tech and startups" for some time - the community is simply too diverse.

That's not necessarily a bad thing; I still always learn unique insights or new facts from threads one might consider off-topic. And that is the defining aspect of HN IMO (it's why I first joined years ago)

[MattDL]

This is the sanest discussion of this topic I've seen so far, having this here adds something.

This place isn't just for tech news anymore, whether that's a good thing I'm sure people will disagree over.

[andyl]

I agree 100% - ban all politics and celebrity discussion from HN.