But how to change something to make it better is a classic hacker question. In fact that would work well as a definition of hacking: trying to change things to make them better.

I understand, but my point is, where do you draw the line on this forum? Practically anything can be changed in order to make it better. If people suddently started submitting items about how to design a better frying pan or municipal government pension system, would that be suitable fodder?

I realize that online communities develop over time, and some expansion is natural. I am just concerned about how wide the funnel is getting.

We draw the line in the same place it's always been: at stuff that's interesting to the intellectually curious. Designing a better frying pan would definitely be on topic. Perhaps not municipal pension systems, if most of the constraints you have to satisfy are political ones.

If I may make a suggestion: When I signed up in 2007, I don't recall seeing a welcome page like you have now (or I forgot about it). My impression of the site, based on the title and the popular submitted content on the front page was that it was about programming, startups, and other technology-related topics. Would it be possible to add to the orange bar, right after "Hacker News", the line of text you have above? So, all readers (old and new) see the following:

Hacker News: Stuff that's interesting to the intellectually curious

I think it will help make the purpose of this site clear to everyone, and hopefully have a positive impact on the comments as well by reminding people that the discussions should have an intellectual component.

This is why you choose what to upvote and what not to upvote. Just don't vote this up. This is the exact reason that mechanism is in place.