Why has there been such a proliferation of these Reddit-style obvious questions upvoted? The front page is full of "Ask HN: what can I do about <insert obvious problem>?"
But to be fair, HN is not aiming to be a wiki. It's a vivid forum that discusses topics that are relevant to its participants. Looking at the amount of comments and upvotes on this thread, it's clear that a lot of people are willing to help or engage in some way. Also, people often not only discuss the initial topic (or question) but something else that arose from it. As I said, it's a vivid place. And that's for good.
Why has there been such a proliferation of these Reddit-style obvious questions upvoted? The front page is full of "Ask HN: what can I do about <insert obvious problem>?"