The short video platforms are almost exclusively individual-algorithmic garbage-recommending platforms designed for maximum passivity.

A couple major differences here are:

* Not video

* Meant more for commmunity/interactivity

* Not individual algorithmic

So a site like this optimizes for most-user-upvoted content, to try to surface content that is found interesting by people who are presumably somewhat like you. That seems pretty different from a self-serving platform that optimizes for whatever keeps you from blinking.

I don't think HN has ever claimed to be especially innovative.

Fundamentally it’s super different from HN, what do you mean?