I'm so so so tired of people complaining about what is and what isn't HN relevant. Yes maybe the topic is not technology but isn't this something that effects us (Americans mostly) regardless of whether or not it's HN news?
I welcome the news because how else would I have the time to find all these articles on my own? I wouldn't, so I actually appreciate that someone posted it here.
If you really don't have interest in the article then just don't click it, move along. It seems like you're putting in more effort complaining than it would take to just skip to the next HN news article.
The problem is that when a forum like Hacker News loses its focus, it loses its value.
I've observed this as Reddit has expanded. /r/programming used to be a good source for learning about neat new technologies and programming techniques. Now, in part because it's one of the default front-page subreddits for an expanding user base on Reddit that mostly aren't programmers, the programming content gets buried beneath jokes, general technology or computer related articles that aren't about programming specifically, and the like.
If Hacker News loses its focus on programming and startups, it risks this happening as well. The detention conditions of PFC Bradley Manning may be interesting, but they are not on topic for a site like Hacker News. There are many other places you can read about and discuss that topic. There aren't many places where I can read about and discuss a broad range of programming and startup related information like I find on Hacker News.
Let's have that discussion when it's actually a significant problem, but it's not right now. Every time I load HN I find 10-15 relevant tech articles and maybe 1-2 articles like this. I'm fine with that ratio. Everyone seems to be making a bigger deal out of this than is justified.
Just because I don't expect it to happen to me doesn't mean it isn't relevant. The actions of our government are relevant to all.
If WikiLeaks were around in 2001 do you think it would have been as easy for Bush to feed us lies to justify going to war in Iraq? I don't. I applaud the actions of WikiLeaks.
I welcome the news because how else would I have the time to find all these articles on my own? I wouldn't, so I actually appreciate that someone posted it here.
If you really don't have interest in the article then just don't click it, move along. It seems like you're putting in more effort complaining than it would take to just skip to the next HN news article.