To be honest, I don't think it's really a social site. It's far too basic for that. Mostly, it's a place for me (specifically me) to start the day. I love the HN format and visit it every day. That being said, I wanted more content related to design/marketing, given that it's what I do a lot of.

I felt that if I wanted something like this, my peers might also. (So far that theory seems to be holding, but who knows if it will be compelling in a week's time.)