Cloistered communities suck, but so does eternal September.
HN seems to have a homogenous user demographic while sustaining a diverse set of perspectives. I'd make the argument that's due to the general level of education on HN likely being higher than other forums; evidenced on my non-scientific observations of denser syntax and broader vocabulary on HN vs. Reddit and a tolerance for well articulated challenges to the status quo on HN.
So yes, HN an echo chamber, but it's not one that resists changes in popular opinion if the changes have merit.
HN seems to have a homogenous user demographic while sustaining a diverse set of perspectives. I'd make the argument that's due to the general level of education on HN likely being higher than other forums; evidenced on my non-scientific observations of denser syntax and broader vocabulary on HN vs. Reddit and a tolerance for well articulated challenges to the status quo on HN.
So yes, HN an echo chamber, but it's not one that resists changes in popular opinion if the changes have merit.