As HN's population grows, the social motivation for "let's help is each other make stuff" shrinks. Maybe there should be a dedicated subsection (or a different site) devoted to that.
It has always seemed to me that "let's help each other make stuff" is the agreed-upon "definitive purpose" of HN. The news, and the articles, and everything else posted here are just tools and information we share to help each other make stuff. In fact, I would define a "Hacker" to be "one who makes stuff." This is not Slashdot, and we are not "nerds"; we are makers all. Thus, shunting the "part" of HN that focuses on helping hackers (i.e. all of it) somewhere else wouldn't leave anything (except perhaps TechCrunch articles.)
If we want to keep HN purpose-focused, then perhaps we should just stop growing (or perhaps shard/undergo mitosis evenly, rather than dividing along topic lines and creating us/them enmity.)
As much as I'd like to be part of a community like that, you are wrong. The closest official definition of on-topic is "anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity." Many people come here simply because they're smart and bored.
Perhaps its not possible, but I think communities should aspire to never split like that.
If helping eachother build cool projects is a tenant of the community, then it should be included in everyone's feed. If it isn't, than we should not have such postings. Having splits of sections splits the community as well.
