I don't know if I'm just misremembering but it feels like over the last three years or so the technical knowledge on HN has gone down the toilet.
Most *nix tools have their origins in the ‘70s-80s.
Email as a technology is ancient by today’s standards. SMTP protocol got established in 1982. Even sendmail dates as far back as the ‘70s.
It's Reddit type conversation often
Could it instead be that less technically inclined people feel more empowered to hang out here?